Hi Penny, last year we bought a lawn mower for our grandaughter, who had just moved into a house with a garden for the first time, my wife didn't like the idea of her using a petrol mower, {not that she uses it anyway, it's usually me that mows her lawn, as both her and her husband work long hours}, so we bought a Bosch electric mower, can't remember the model no, I think it was a 37 something or other, but it is a fantastic mower, lightweight, good cut height adjustable, and the trick with electric cable, is to have the cable on alternating sides, so if you start off the first strip with the cable on your right hand side, when you get to the end turn left, so the cable is on your left side, and do the next strip, then turn right, and so on, Derek.

I was wondering abut a battery one, but some batteries are rather heavy. The cable on an electric one is quite easily managed once you get the hang of where to have it.

I have a Flymo. I had one for years and years before it packed up, and I was very surprised to find the same model was still for sale when I had to buy a new one.

One thing to note with electric ones - if they collect the mowings, the motor doesn't last so long as the machine becomes heavier (not much heavier though) between each emptying of the bin. With a small lawn, it only takes a couple of minutes to collect up the mowings by hand anyway.

Sometimes see an couple of naughty sheep on the lane here Snoop, but can't really nick them and send them to Sussex. Geese are supposed to be very good lawn mowers and act as rather terrifying guard "dogs" as well,but no guarantee they would keep off the flower beds! I borrowed a goat once but it bleated all night and the neighbours complained...

Goats have iron stomachs and will eat everything!

Thank you Derek for your sound advice and Andrew for yours re a flymo. I will go and look at both. I'm even toying woth the idea of getting one for the back and the other for the front! Depending on prices of course! Yes, Stera, I wondered whether anyone would recommend a battery one, but I suspected it would be heavy, as you suggest, so that's out. Thanks Snoopdog for the reminder about a powerbreaker. I will definitely get one.
As for goats and geese and sheep, well! I'd love to have geese and chicken--have always fancied them, but it just won't happen now!! I don't need any more animals to look after!
I was careless over the size of the lawns--missed an 0. It should have read 1000 sq ft.