Very merry Manchester Swansea Christmas

AS the big day nears, people have already been enjoying the Christmas spirit – some of them to excess.

Town and city centres were flooded with revellers this weekend after the traditional Mad Friday, or Black Eye Friday, kicked off this year’s four-day festive break.

There was plenty of good-natured fun on display as many hit pubs and clubs with pals wearing fancy dress.

But police and emergency services also had to intervene in punch-ups, tackle antisocial behaviour and help passed-out partygoers.

Weekend warriors marking the traditional end of work booze-up went one better than Christmas jumpers in and

by stepping out in full festive suit and tie get-ups.

Also in Swansea, a glamorous blonde braved the cold in a lacy plunging red dress topped off with a garland made of baubles.

Scores of Santas brightened up the High Streets and a snowman was spotted chilling in city centre while a bearded cross-dressing elf showed off his striking tribal tattoo in

Four creative girls put on their own version of the nativity in – complete with a baby Jesus doll, camel and donkey.

Friendly

In one man seemed to have got the Highway Code mixed up with the dress code and ended up wearing a cone on his head.

Still, it was one way of saving face during the walk of shame. A reveller in also went for the traffic cone as accessory look.

And in one kindly yy young g lady y decided to brighten up a homeless man’s night by giving him a friendly hug as he bedded down on the street.

But it was not all peace and goodwill on Earth. Some rowdy revellers brawled and urinated in the streets. Others who had toasted St Nicholas one time too many ended up collapsing and waiting for treatment from paramedics – or making trips to hospital.

Three police officers were injured in scuffles in West Yorks.

One was left with blood gushing from a head injury and another had a broken hand.

Sergeant Alex Artis posted a picture of the officer’s head injury. He wrote: “Mad Friday is living up to its name sadly... This is not what we come to work for.” Meanwhile, a good old fry-up was rated as the best hangover cure, topping a poll wi with 19 per cent. Second most popular re remedy was sleep, on 17 per cent, follow lowed by painkillers – 13 per cent.

Other people opted for fruit or crisps. But 40 of the 1,000 polled insisted “hair of the dog” was the best fix. The study by ParcelsPlease.com also found there were 27,000 Google searches for “hangover cure” over the festive period last year – including many for “Can you die from a hangover?”

ParcelsPlease.com’s Dawn Henderson said: “The reliable hangover cures of a fry-up, plenty of sleep and paracetamol are still the most trusted.

“But it seems we are also willing to try more random remedies when we are feeling a bit fragile.”