Wish I'd seen this sooner... Not had happy experiences with Maplin's "Soldering Plastics" (no iron in sight)... When it dies, I can recommend Anatek irons - even the cheapies are hard to kill, and my humble 30W iron is good enough for everything up to mains plugs.
Lead free solders are a royal PITA to use, and only manufacturers are obliged to use them - their generally higher melting points and poorer flow rates make them more difficult to use, especially if you need to rework anything. Have a look at Farnell' or RS' websites for low melting point solders with the highest silver content you can find - it'll be worth it.
A flux pen is also a damn good idea - especially for heat sensitive work - you'll get quicker perfect joints, and fewer will be "dry".
Flux remover should also be considered essential to remove residues - even though some fluxes and solders are low acidity, the residual oxides and contaminants will still attack boards, componentsand joints over time...
A simple syringe type solder sucker (look for one with a nice narrow replacable tip) and some desoldering braid are essential - the braid will pick-up stuff the sucker won't, and vice versa
An old chem-lab type retort stand and glassware clamp make a super-stable workpiece holder if you can find one.
Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade here, but I've made all the mistakes already...
churz, eofs