with respect to Emrys, the inch-off idea may not be a good one (he doesn't
know how tall the grass is, as you didn't say). the general rule is to
never take off more than a third of the growth.

and rather than progressively lowering the cut height, it should - if
anything - be raised over the season.

it is a good idea to return the clippings to the sward on the first few and
the last cuts. if you just top off the height, then the clippings will
quickly disappear. they provide both mulch (of a kind) and moisture.

it is never to soon to start spiking your lawn. a roller type spiker is
cheap, and a quarter of an acre will not take too long. the benefits are
well worth the effort. in autumn, add a spadeful of sharp sand to every
four or five square metres, after spiking. great for drainage, which is
vital to a healthy lawn.

don't mow more than once a day (!) - with all the rain we have been blessed
with this year, the ground will compact easily. this will lead to clumping
of the grass plants; and encourage moss to get established.