Eeeek i am using my boy for the first time this week!! both my dog and the bitch have had all the relevent health checks etc. pedigrees look excellent together, but he is 19 months old and not been used before! I just hope he knows what to do!,  the bitch is a maiden bitch as well!
Has anybody any helpful tips. ? : - ) thanks.

Have you or the bitch owner attended/assisted at matings in the past? If not, please get someone along who's experienced in handling matings. It's not always plain sailing, and you don't want either animal to get injured.

JG she owns both!  You will need someone experienced to be there with you, do you know anyone that could be who has experience?

You're VERY lucky if the dog that you own happens to be the best possible mate for your bitch.  Most of us have to travel the length and breathe of the country to use the best match!
Maybe it would be a good idea to ask the breeder of your bitch to help and advise, if she's a knowledgable and experienced breeder?
What breed do you have?  Some are easier to mate that others.

OP says his dog and the bitch so I'm not sure that you can deduce that they own both :)

He, he.  God my headache this morning is making me not read things properly !!!

Just re-read it and you could be right Isabel!!;)

I have managed two matings recently one easy and one very difficult.  You really do need someone expereinced on hand and two people are prefered if things are difficult.

The first mating was between a 6 1/2 year old technically maiden dog (he had been tried with my very awkward bitch at five and failed), and a maiden bitch. 

Things went very easily but they had plenty of time.  They were both here for a week.  I just watched them carefully and unobtrusively so as not to put the male off (this had been a proiblem last time as as soon as I wnet to assist he would climb off), and the bitch was rock steady not like a maiden at all, and when they had mated I just ensured they were steadied in the tie.

The second was my aforementioned awkward bitch and the dog who had managed to mate her two years ago, and had a good litter. 

We had tried again in Novemeber and she was adamant it wasn't going to be. 

This time we had him come to stay right fromt he start of the season so she could come round to the idea.

This worked quite well except she had rather confused ideas about gender roles and I needed to assist to keep her rear still, there were several near misses because of her wriggling free and jumping on him, but eventually with my help the dog succeeded in mating the bitch.

This necesitated very close and intimate contact between me and the mating pair.  With a medium size breed if you have your knee under the bitches ribs and hand in her groin the dog is litterally breathing in your face.  Many a male could be put off or cross at such intrusion.

Anyway during the tie my bitch started to try to turn and buck, and had I not had a firm hold of her the dog and she would have been injured.

Hi thanks for your replys , yes i have done matings before but usually with a bitch that has had a litter, so just a bit apprehensive, i do have another bitch at home ( not a match pedigree wise for my dog tho) which i obviously seperate from my boy when she is in season, the last time she was in season he stopped eating ,sulked, had me up at 3am whining! so i just hope he is as keen when the bitch comes for mating.Hopefully all will go well and i will have help. The bitch i did breed ,but does not live with me. :-)