Hi Andy, welcome to Linux Mint
Programming with Python is fun, at least I think so. Many programs developed by Linux Mint are actually written in Python, like the Software Manager and Update Manager for example. So I hope you do pick it up, but most important is you have a good time and enjoy using Linux Mint
Google has a very basic Python class to get you started: https://developers.google.com/edu/python/
. The Hitchhiker's Guide To Python may be a nice resource along the way also: http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/index.html
. Another good resource is Learn Python The Hard Way, which throws you in the deep end but gets you going fast with the basics: http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/
. You don't need much to get started, Gedit or Kate both already have syntax highlighting for Python source code, though you may want to look into a lightweight programmer's editor like Geany to get a little more productive as your programming skills grow (you can install it from the Software Manager; I recommend you also install geany-plugins for some extra tools). But there are plenty of other programmer's editors and IDEs suitable for use with Python.