http://connaughtshaving.com/timortto.html £14.95 razor
http://connaughtshaving.com/redpersonna.html £2.60 blades
http://connaughtshaving.com/mitchellsbowl.html £10 soap and dish, Mitchells Woolfat, very nice!
http://connaughtshaving.com/90081.html £8.95 brush
Boots would be cheaper but not quite as good. I would recommend a decent badger bristle brush, they retain more water and make a better lather!

If you go down the Merkur, badger hair brush, Edwin Jagger shaving cream route, it can get expensive for the initial layout, but if you do what I did, and buy the el cheapo stuff from Boots to see if you will like using a safety razor, then the whole kit and caboodle shouldnt cost much over £13. The soap has lasted me 8 months so far, and at 10 blades a packet for £2, if you don't need to shave as often as I do, then they last a fair old time. What would you rather do, spend £8-10 on fusion blades, or £2 for ten?

The Brush
The brush is important, firstly it provides a source of exfoliation, it removes dead skin cells and dirt from around each hair and it also brings the environment to create "emulsion" with your soap but more on that later. The brush is generally made from Badger bristle, the finest type is often referred to as "silvertip" badger and comes from the neck of the badger in winter, this is the softest, most absorbent type of brush you can get and it makes a fine lather.
When using a brush, the first time you lather up your face in the morning (or whenever you shave) you should grip the brush by the bristles, this tightens them up and makes them more aggressive. This will ensure that the bristles have picked up all the laying down hairs and surrounded them with gooey lather. Further latherings can be done by gripping the handles and letting the brush remain more floppy.

The Soap
Shaving soap should be alkaline (which is why you shouldn't use face soap which is acidic!) which is essential to cause the little plates that "armour" each hair to split apart and allow moisture within the hair shaft. It is this process that swells each hair and makes it easier to cut, it also allows for a tiny bit of stubble "retreat" after your shave leaving you very smooth, but not so far beneath the skin that it will cause irritation and ingrown hairs like hysteresis (the process by which cartridge razors work, they don't shave, even the manufacturers admit it!)
The key to creating a good lather is to make an emulsion of soap and water. Just the right amount of water will make you lather tenacious and slick, I usually put my soap, brush and razor in my mug in the sink full of the hottest water my tap can muster while I have my shower. Once out I give my brush a good shake to remove the excess and tip the water from inside the soap, 80-100 whirls of the brush 'pon my puck and I have enough soap to make a decent three pass and polish shave. I put this into the hot mug and start adding water while mixing it up, it is actually surprising how much water you can add to make it good and slick (something you can do in the early days while learning is to make up a batch and ruin it by adding too much water, this will give you experience of the stages it goes through so you can spot when it's just right) and provide enough cushion for the blade.
It is also worth mentioning that the first time you use a new brush it will smell a bit like dead wet dog! The best thing to do is to shampoo the bristles a few times to get rid of the smell!

So there you have it, a comprehensive reason why crap in a can just isn't up to the job, the brush and soap do so many tasks between them, it is not simply a case of lubrication.

Look at your beard in a mirror, very closely, and see which way your hairs grow. For example, my cheek hairs and top lip hairs grow in a V shape towards my chin, my cheek hairs grow straight down, and under my chin, my left side grows horizontaly so to speak, my right side grows at about 45° towards my adams apple. If you can find which way your hairs grow, and follow them with the razor, it is a much nicer shave, as you dont get that burn afterwards.

Invest in a good facecloth, which should be soaked in hot water and placed on your face, do this 3 or 4 times and it softens the hairs up lovely, which makes shaving that bit easier. Remember to use cold water after.

I tried a cheapy £3.50 safety razor from Boots, was so impressed with the lack of irritation that, as I've just received an unexpected bit of money, I ordered the whole hog, Futur, brush and soap. Today was the first time having a shave was an experience to be enjoyed rather than a time consuming chore that I knew would leave me unsatisfied (electric beard trimmer) or in a rash of ingrown hair and nasty little spots (disposable or cartridge razors).

So thank you, to the folks who offered advice, all I need to get hold of now is a styptic pen until I get the proper hang of controlling the blade around the stranger contours...

Never, ever buy the Lidl double-blade razor. It rips your face to shreds.