I'm going to be getting a new camera and wondered if anyone could recomend any for around the 250-300 pound mark. Iv been looking at the Canon PowerShot and I'm pretty sure it's what I'm after. Im looking for something thats going to let me improve my photography to a highish standard but also be simple enough to learn the basic skills with. Has anyone had experience with this camera, and are there any others I should concider before I part with my cash?
Thanks for any advice/help you can give!

also is it worth getting it from a local shop so iv got the customer service should i need it, or shall i just get one from amazon where is over 40quid cheeper.

Got on, had it for 6 months. Bloody brilliant. Great Video too. A mate's got an EOS350D, which is a DSLR, costs a lot more but doesn't seem to have THAT much of an advantage (although it is a v nice camera).