it was actually a fairly quiet one in manchester as past years go, I'd put the weather down as the main cause, it's traditionally when all the labourers finish but a fair few won't have been working friday because of the weather. That and with a full week until xmas a lot of other trades/industries won't break up until midweek next week.
It was busier last friday in town, it was good fun with the snow last night, had 3-4 inches fall just while I was working, loads of people who'd gone in before it started coming out to find tons of snow.