| Factory/Mad Friday!! 06:19 - Dec 18 with 3269 views | TalkingSutty |
I used to love this day as an apprentice Spring Maker at Ratcliffe Springs. We used to finish at lunchtime but the frivovilties started at 8am when the buzzer sounded to start work ( just cleaning down the machinery and tidying up). Everybody used to smuggle in booze and bring in food and the atmosphere was great, having a drink and cooking a breakfast in the heat treatment room, on the shovel. Christmas kisses with the girls working on the fly presses and just having a good laugh.
Later in the morning Fred Ratcliffe and the management would make an appearance and come around to everybody handing out mince pies and a can of Boddingtons. It was accepted that you could have a drink once Fred handed out the beer but in reality the drinking started at 8am. Then prior to finishing everybody lined up for the double wage packets bound together with a big elastic band. You was rich for a few days.
Then lunchtime in the St Albans and the Castle, risking your holiday pay on three card brag or playing 'Killer' on the pool table. Staying half sober was the trick, apprentices could boost their wages significantly and we did. Everybody seemed to struggle for money in those days but a lot of good folk worked in that factory, including the owner and management. The University of life? Without a doubt.
Do these sort of things still happen and is Mad Friday still alive and kicking. Anybody got any plans for today? [Post edited 18 Dec 2015 6:32]
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 06:58 - Dec 18 with 3235 views | aleanddale |
Ha ha
Good post TS.
The problem today is it could not be further from Christmas Day!
I do remember the midday finish though and down the pub at 12.30. Years ago I worked in Bolton so had to be sober enough to catch the bus home tea time then get straight back on it in Rochdale town centre meeting my mates. Definitely could not of afforded a cab from Bolton town centre!.
Had a couple of bad mad Friday experiences too.. Manchester. Too busy too many dickheads causing trouble to wet to cold and no transport home!!
Nowadays it's a tea time pint and home at 7 latest ready for question of sport!! |  | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:17 - Dec 18 with 3216 views | mr_fri_night |
One of my pupils is an apprentice at Holroyds in Milnrow. All the older staff chip in to a pot to help boost the youngsters wages but the apprentices have to sing for their money! My lad and another thought they were smart by booking few days off before Christmas but were made to sing on their last day instead. All apprentices are getting a fresh turkey as a Christmas gift off the bosses too. Old very old school. | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:28 - Dec 18 with 3202 views | animal8 |
Where did you get the chimay beer from TS .h | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:33 - Dec 18 with 3186 views | TalkingSutty |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:28 - Dec 18 by animal8 |
Where did you get the chimay beer from TS .h |
I ordered it on line, (Google beerhawk). I also ordered a couple of Trappist beer glasses/goblets. Excellent service and delivered within 3 days. | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:35 - Dec 18 with 3176 views | TalkingSutty |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:17 - Dec 18 by mr_fri_night |
One of my pupils is an apprentice at Holroyds in Milnrow. All the older staff chip in to a pot to help boost the youngsters wages but the apprentices have to sing for their money! My lad and another thought they were smart by booking few days off before Christmas but were made to sing on their last day instead. All apprentices are getting a fresh turkey as a Christmas gift off the bosses too. Old very old school. |
I have a part time job and received a 30 quid Xmas bonus in my pay. Very nice of them and appreciated. | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 09:44 - Dec 18 with 3073 views | mingthemerciless |
I remember singing for Xmas money as an apprentice engineer. You had to go from workshop to workshop, stand on a work bench or machine table and sing a few carols from the hymn sheet. You'd get buckets of water and nuts and bolts thrown at you during the " performance ".
We made a sheet metal collection tin with a slot in the top, nobody thought about getting the money out though so we had cut the end off with an oxy- acetylene torch. All the coins were really hot and discoloured when we managed it.
The last time I did it it all got a bit lively. One of the lads just out of his time got carried away with throwing things at us so we grabbed him, carried him to one of those long communal wash troughs and turned all the taps on him. Are you reading this Tony Coates ?
There'd be about 4 or 5 of us so we made a nice supplement to our wages. Off into town then to spend it. In the early years I wasn't drinking much so I'd be buying records, later on it was down the pub.
You only had Xmas day and Boxing Day then. Even New Year's Day was a working day but not much got done ! In some ways I preferred just the two days instead of lounging around at home just eating and drinking for the sake of it. | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 10:08 - Dec 18 with 3049 views | JimmyRustler |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 07:33 - Dec 18 by TalkingSutty |
I ordered it on line, (Google beerhawk). I also ordered a couple of Trappist beer glasses/goblets. Excellent service and delivered within 3 days. |
Chimay is a fine choice. Love the crisp aftertaste more than anything else.
I remember taking home a turkey once and my mum was fuming cause she'd already bought one. As though I was supposed to know what was happening as a young lad!
Mad Friday over Black Friday any day of the week |  | | |
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 10:14 - Dec 18 with 3033 views | milly |
I see Mad Friday as a time for all workers to get together before they part for xmas.Must admit,there is more chatting etc than work being done at this moment but who cares.Its xmas afterall. | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 10:26 - Dec 18 with 3014 views | MBoothman |
Lucky gets, I have to work right up until and including crimbo! No getting pissed at work for some. These oldies don't know they're born... |  |
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 10:51 - Dec 18 with 2981 views | dalenumber2 |
I know for a fact that there will be a lot of teachers out tonight celebrating the end of term |  | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 12:10 - Dec 18 with 2921 views | aleanddale |
300 000 revellers expected in Manchester tonight according to the MEN.
Thinking about this I don't think we had mad Friday in the 80,s ??
TS are you getting mixed up with Christmas Eve or the last Friday IF the 25th landed on that Saturday or Sunday? | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 18:32 - Dec 18 with 2708 views | TalkingSutty |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 12:10 - Dec 18 by aleanddale |
300 000 revellers expected in Manchester tonight according to the MEN.
Thinking about this I don't think we had mad Friday in the 80,s ??
TS are you getting mixed up with Christmas Eve or the last Friday IF the 25th landed on that Saturday or Sunday? |
The last day when most of the factories/ building trade etc closed for Xmas ( we called it factory Friday), I think it was normally Friday when people finished.It was tradition for everybody to finish early on the last day and go for a drink. The Merry Weaver, Wine Lodge, Brunswick etc all of them where buzzing.
The pubs where just as packed then or they seemed to be. Over the years the happy mood was replaced with knob heads who couldn't hold their beer and had to have a scrap ( never on their own, only in a group), the name seemed to change into Mad Friday. [Post edited 18 Dec 2015 18:33]
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 19:03 - Dec 18 with 2648 views | TalkingSutty |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 18:56 - Dec 18 by nordenblue |
They only sell Duvel in halfs in my local due to the strength,is that normal for that beer? |
Not sure, it's 8.5% proof though so it isn't designed to be knocked back in pints. I just buy it in the 330ml bottles, you only need a few. I'm having one now in fact. [Post edited 18 Dec 2015 19:05]
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 19:10 - Dec 18 with 2634 views | D_Alien |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 18:32 - Dec 18 by TalkingSutty |
The last day when most of the factories/ building trade etc closed for Xmas ( we called it factory Friday), I think it was normally Friday when people finished.It was tradition for everybody to finish early on the last day and go for a drink. The Merry Weaver, Wine Lodge, Brunswick etc all of them where buzzing.
The pubs where just as packed then or they seemed to be. Over the years the happy mood was replaced with knob heads who couldn't hold their beer and had to have a scrap ( never on their own, only in a group), the name seemed to change into Mad Friday. [Post edited 18 Dec 2015 18:33]
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My best mate used to be a joiner with Rochdale Council, and for a couple of years in the mid-90's I joined in with their do, always starting in the Albert on Spotland Road for some reason before heading into town. Flying Horse, Dukes, and the Post Office Club which everyone seemed to head towards by about 8pm, absolutely heaving, women getting pregnant just by brushing past  |  |
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 19:50 - Dec 18 with 2559 views | ChaffRAFC |
Working in retail is horrific at Christmas, Luckily, as Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Friday and Saturday, I get those days off and those only as they are my normal days off otherwise I'd only have Christmas Day off. Got a 10 hour shift on Christmas Eve when everyone in the Oldham area rushes to the f***ing Co-Op! |  |
| If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor |
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| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 19:56 - Dec 18 with 2553 views | TalkingSutty |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 19:10 - Dec 18 by D_Alien |
My best mate used to be a joiner with Rochdale Council, and for a couple of years in the mid-90's I joined in with their do, always starting in the Albert on Spotland Road for some reason before heading into town. Flying Horse, Dukes, and the Post Office Club which everyone seemed to head towards by about 8pm, absolutely heaving, women getting pregnant just by brushing past |
Post Office Club, forgot about that. I used to go in there Saturday lunchtime before going to the match. The Brownhill used to be another pre - match pub. Pie and peas in a big dish, a few games of pool and Football Focus.
Things seemed better in those days....and then we started winning!! | | | |
| Factory/Mad Friday!! on 22:29 - Dec 18 with 2459 views | regjenkins |
You may know my old mucker Brent Buckley then TS? |  |
| ' I started out with nothing and i still got most of it left' |
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