if you want an SLR the way forward imo is cannon, minolta or nikkon. if you want to pay £200 on a new SLR i personally think the cannon EOS 3000v for £180 is not a bad choice. Or for a bit more a Minolta Dynax 60. Or Nikon F80 at £380. it is worth spending the cash and getting a decent camera, as with all things the more you spend the more you get.
At the end of the day though, you could have a spanking camera, with a shiza lens and the end result is poorer quality photos. make sure you get a quality lens!
im sure you probably know most of that but hey!
Have fun,
Alex