Hi Ian
You could also have a look at;
www.1and1.co.uk

If you sign up for a hosting package..which you're going to need anyway, you get free software to design your site. I started with Netobjects Fusion (i think version 7, but have since upgraded to 8, the current version is 9 but heard a whisper that 10 was on the way. I hadn't done any web design before and basically didn't have a clue where to start. It took a while to get the hang of it, but the easiest way is to set yourself a task and find out how to achieve it (much like floristry). I can't say it's the best package as i haven't used any other, but it works for me and has all the features.

Hope this helps