Coming pack to the hobby

I know how you feel!
I prefer solvent based UHU or similar since it dries quickly and doesn't soak the paper like PVA can. You can use it like contact adhesive for an instant joint. YMMV but I don't get on with PVA at all for card kits.
MEK (e.g. Slater's MEKPAK), polystyrene cement, plastic weld, superglue amongst others. Be guided by the specific kit instructions. Some, such as Parkside Dundas, use ABS for some components, which needs one of the stronger glues.
They're mostly OK but the corners tend to show and they can look a bit flat. Good weathering and touching in at the edges can make them a lot better.
Take a look at where you'll find a growing range of downloadable kits and building papers which are the equal of Metcalfe, etc. I can thoroughly recommend them (usual disclaimer). You pay once, to download, and then print and build as many times as you want. Excellent for long runs of terraces houses or retaining walls. There have been a few Scalescenes freebies in the Hornby magazine, maybe you can find someone with a spare copy to try out.
MBQ

I use book binder's glue (it was recommended by the expert in the hobby shop for another project which involved gluing card to paper). Works for me - YMMV.
-- Rod

Regardless of model material, apply the glue with toothpicks, pins, and small brushes. Never apply with the tube, or the brush that comes in the lid of the glue bottle. Use as little glue as possible.
Also use plenty of bracing - square wood in the corners, triangular gussets, etc.
For card/paper models I prefer PVA. It comes in many styles or varieties. Use the "school glue" variety, it doesn't warp card/paper as much as the woodworking grade. I've also used glue-stick (good for larger surfaces), and "tacky glue" as used by crafters for gluing cloth.
Solvent-based glues (cements) vary also. They are IMO second best for paper/card models, but they have their uses. I sometimes soak the parts in liquid cement, apply glue, spread it, and let it dry. The cement soaks into the card, which in effect becomes a composite material. Then use liquid cement as if the card part were plastic. I've had reasonably good success with home-made cement: dissolve bits of clear styrene plastic in a liquid cement to get a consistency thinner than the stuff in the tubes. One drawback of solvent cements is that they can make the ink run.
I've used spray type rubber cement for large surfaces (such as roofing sheets over a sub-roof card), but do _not_ recommend it. In the long term it reacts with the card and the air, turns brown, becomes brittle, and fails.
A liquid solvent cement is best. Apply it with a small brush - the ones in the lids of the bottles are no good at all. Tube type cement is sometime good for filling gaps, especially when applying bracing inside the model. It also has good "tack", which makes it useful when applying small parts.
Also, you'll need Squadron Green or similar plastic filler.
Again, use plenty of bracing. A floor/ceiling works wonders to keep a building square.
The Metcalfe and similar photo-based models look very good at the "normal viewing distance" of about 3ft from the model. But art-based models can also look good. The main thing is not to mix the two styles of model - keep the look of the models consistent.
In general, I would not recommend card over plastic kits, however, mostly because plastic kits are a mine of bashable parts. I seldom build a kit as designed, and find plastic kits to be more adaptable than card kits. Also, I find it easier to paint and weather plastic. I use water based acrylic craft/artists colours.
That being said, I do build card kits from time to time. Just for the fun of it.
Have fun!

Thank you all for your help.
I think I will go over to the big Birmingham show to get a feel for what is around - poor old credit card!
Martin Nicholson Daventry, UK