London's FTSE 100 enjoyed a boost as trading got underway on Friday, climbing 53 points to 8,202.
Endeavour Mining was among early risers on the back of a further gain for gold, which was up 1.3% at $2,699 an ounce for the day on Friday morning.
Games Workshop shares surged over 15% in the meantime after the company signalled trading across the first half had overshot expectations.
Elsewhere, regulator Ofgem confirmed energy prices would rise once more in January as its price cap increased by £21 to £1,738.
And finally, retail sales faced a sharp drop in October as Budget fears and unseasonably warm weather hit, falling by 0.7%, against expectations for a 0.3% decline, the ONS said.