TazzyUK

Here is what i did:
Wiped wood with dry cloth
Sanded it removing flaked old paint and smothing its eges
Wiped it again with spirit
Let it dry
Paint it with gloss paint that didnt need undercoat.
U better snap some pictures of the area u want to paint and pop in Homebase and ask for advice. They have helpful staff and can give u tips like they did with me when i bought the paint.
Good luck

Yeh no one bothered to answer... This place is not very much diyers freindly. It is more towards plumbers and engineers who r in business and look for advice from time to time.
I searched the interent and it helped much better than here.