Caroline O'Donoghue: There's a curious lack of cosiness in male friendships

I have a handful of very close female friendships and all of them have one thing in common which is that we cannot stop touching each other.

If you can’t be vulnerable with your own peers, then how do you exorcise the fear and anxiety that builds up in your veins?

My friend Jen has been staying with us all this week. She lives alone, so bubbling has become a lifeline for her.

When we began the bubble, we did so under the impression that we were doing her a favour; the longer she stays, the more we realise that it’s her who is doing us one. Gavin and I are so thrilled to have another person in the house that we run to Jen like Jane and Michael Banks run to Mary Poppins. We want to show her things, tell her things, regale her with the stories that we’ve told one another far too many times.