See if you can still get onto one of the Association's beginners courses - it'll likely all end in tears without that foundation. And they are normally run in the winter months ...
Read some decent books - there's a new Haynes manual that's being well spoken of. Hooper is authoratitive but not quite up-to-date -- good to read as your second or third book, I'd suggest. Read this forum (but don't believe/accept everything!) There's even the odd 'sticky thread' specifically for beginners ... Have a go with the forum Search facility - most subjects are done to death every few months!
Kit. Decent prices ...
You've missed the Winter Sales!
As a beginner, probably best to avoid the stuff others are unloading at auction. But your association might know of people retiring, moving, etc and might be able to help to look it over for you.
Some with carpentry skills would want to build their own. Plans are available for free, but precision is needed - particularly on internal dimensions. Others would build a kit. And some wanting readymade would break with tradition and buy plastic foam hives for higher performance at a lower cost than wood. Lots of possibilities.
Bees. Talk to your local association. Sorry, same answer again! But its a very good starting point. Many have schemes specifically to get you bees for your first hive (you'll need at least two, and a pile of spare/standby bits and pieces, fairly rapidly).
Find a friendly member local-ish to you, and 'help' him until you are ready for bees of your own. He (or the association) may even have a suit and veil to lend you until you know whether or not handling stinging insects is fun for you, or not.
Welcome to a fascinating world!
ADDED - as you'll soon discover, two beekeepers means at least three opinions! Take a couple of books by different authors, and start by only accepting what they agree on. Note what they disagree on, and see which you find more convincing!
