Each of us have our own favourite pole manufacturers I suppose and Joskin's list above is a good starting point. To that list I would add both Milo and Preston, especially the more expensive models.
As a 'starter' pole you are not going to break the bank to buy one, so maybe the Maver, Shimano and Drenan ranges are worth studying.
Personally, I don't like most of the Maver poles as mostly I find them too thick at the butt end, poorly balanced and none too stiff.
The Drennan range is excellent value for money and if I were going to start out all over again then I'd probably opt for one of their cheaper models.
The problem that I see with beginning pole fishing is that you don't want to spend a fortune in case you just don't like it, or cannot manage to fish the style at all.
Therefore, why not see if you could arrange a few sessions with other anglers and try out their poles before parting with any cash?
If you are down Salisbury way then let me know and you can experiment using some of my poles.