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Original poster

To wonder what you call " Black eye Friday"?

161 replies

Nolongera · 06/12/2024 08:59

Posting here for traffic.

Inspired by another thread.

Many there wondering what " black eye Friday " is.

Here in the North East of England, it's the last working Friday before Christmas, everyone out on the pop including the once a year amatuer drinkers and the first timers cluttering the bar ordering their port and lemon.

Black eye Friday because so many people get in a right state and end up in a scuffle and getting a black eye.

Last year was very quiet. Only saw 2 fights.

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Tessasanderson · 06/12/2024 14:25

Around these parts Black Eye Friday is the day the construction industry close up for christmas. They have all had their pay, they go out and get hammered.

You then end up with a load of scaffolders, builders and the inevitable office workers (Drinking shandy), tanked up banging heads. It always ends in trouble and lots end the night covered in blood and black eyes.

ObliviousCoalmine · 06/12/2024 13:19

Black eye Friday or factory Friday.

iwishihadaname · 06/12/2024 12:20

diddl · 06/12/2024 10:58

Occasionally I call it My Birthday!😁

Happy birthday

Neeenaaw · 06/12/2024 12:15

In Devon and always known it as black eye friday

Wickedstitch · 06/12/2024 12:11

Definitely Black Friday in South Wales

iwishihadaname · 06/12/2024 12:10

DarkAndTwisties · 06/12/2024 09:04

I live in Berkshire and have never heard a name for this day. Doesn't mean there isn't a name for it of course, just not one I've heard!

Same for Oxfordshire

Ohnonotmeagain · 06/12/2024 12:09

Mad Friday here.

picked it up from a police officer friend- their jobs that night are almost exclusively bar fights, or domestic violence when they get in from the pub and start the fight with their families instead.

Alltheunreadbooks · 06/12/2024 12:06

Mad Friday here..as you say all the rough arses that normal stick to their own locals go into town and drink most of the day. absolute bedlam.

I normally try and avoid town pubs and bars in December anyway as they all seem packed with complete idiots of both sexes.

TimeForATerf · 06/12/2024 12:04

Mad Friday here in West Yorkshire

ohfook · 06/12/2024 12:04

RubyRedBow · 06/12/2024 09:00

I wondered if you were from Newcastle when I read the title. I am too 😂

Same - I read the title and knew you'd be from near me! I used to live black eye Friday back in the day!

TroysMammy · 06/12/2024 12:02

Black Friday in South Wales.

MrsAvocet · 06/12/2024 12:01

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 06/12/2024 11:58

I'm from SE England but have lived in Cumbria for 10 years and have never heard of it!

Depends on what part of Cumbria. In the (ex) industrial West, it's definitely a thing. Borrowdale...probably not.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 06/12/2024 11:58

I'm from SE England but have lived in Cumbria for 10 years and have never heard of it!

PogDogsMagicKennel · 06/12/2024 11:56

Builders Friday in West Midlands, Murder Friday in Glasgow and Mad Friday where I am (North West). Black-eye Friday used to make me laugh when I was younger.
Do people still go out and party wildly? I’m old and out of touch, so have no idea now 🤷‍♀️

allthatfalafel · 06/12/2024 11:55

AMiddleClassWomanOfACertainAge · 06/12/2024 09:13

Black Friday here and I’m Midlands based now.

I'm midlands and never heard of it called anything. I'm east though, maybe you're west?

AnnaFrith · 06/12/2024 11:54

Yes we always called it Black Friday when I was young in South Wales. A wild night out before more family orientated Christmas celebrations.

September1013 · 06/12/2024 11:50

Always called it Black Friday in A&E/emergency services in south and west Wales - it was a reference to the fact that there’s lots of office parties on the last working Friday before Christmas so the night shift would be busy. We also had a “Black Friday night out” some years for people that weren’t on shift.

In recent years the term Black Friday has been used for a shopping thing that came over from the US hence the confusion.

Silvers11 · 06/12/2024 11:46

Mad Friday here - I am in Scotland.

Never, ever heard of Black Eye Friday ( until the post the other day)

Catswhisky · 06/12/2024 11:43

West Yorkshire, builders Friday, all the building firms close for Xmas on the Friday and traditionally most go straight to a pub. Seems to be less of a thing since covid

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 06/12/2024 11:38

NE Scotland - "mad Friday" here.

Dueanamechange2025 · 06/12/2024 11:37

Mad Friday in Yorkshire, I had never heard the term black eye Friday until the other post.

TheOnlyMrsW · 06/12/2024 11:37

Mad Friday here in the NW, I'd never heard of Mad Eye either until that thread 😊

JC03745 · 06/12/2024 11:36

Never heard the term and lived in the UK 20yrs- in the South though.

Fartooold · 06/12/2024 11:36

It always had bad connotations for me. I'm from Northumberland, and in my 60's now, and it was a 'thing' when I was a child.
My granny used to hate Black eye Friday, so called because the pitmen would go out drinking, booze away their Christmas pay packet then come home and belt the complaining wife.
My grandad was lovely and never lifted a finger to my granny, but she was well used to comforting miner's waves trying to put food on the table over the festive period.

Lovely to see that it's now just a time of madness 😁

Edinvillian · 06/12/2024 11:35

I'm from the North east of Scotland, those that are over 40 call it the piece bagger (traditionally people left from work and went straight to the pub so still have their piece bag (lunch box) ), those under 40 call it Mad Friday.