Thank you everyone - your support and advice makes me want to carry on! I have a really good guitar teacher who beleives in doing a bit of everything to keep it interesting so I am doing some fingerpicking as well and scales (find scales the easiest at the moment) Rich McCarthy- you are right my fingers do really ache - i will attempt not to assasinate the guitar in future. UB Ed - I took the plunge and drilled a hole in the plastic cap on the heel of the guitar (think it is the heel....) and have also bought myself a nice soft strap with multicoloured froggies on it. (I am just a big kid really!) thanks again folks..