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I'm. growing rhubarb for the first time. I read that you shouldn't eat the stalks in the first year. What do I do with them, do I leave them until the Autumn and then pull them? Any advice would be appreciated

I thought that you leave them growing during the first year so that the plant builds up some strength in the root.  In the autumn they just shrivel up.   I wanted to eat mine just before the frost got them but the concensus was that by that time the poisons in the plant might have built up too high so I decided not to risk it.  Did eat a couple of stems but they were a bit tough by that time but I am still alive.

And a very warm welcome to A4A

You leave the stalks and they just die away, then feed with some well rotten manure.

I think I won't be the only one to say that it depends on how many stalks there are! if the plant is a real giant, then I don't think it does any harm to pull a few off now and again. I did that, and my plant this year is huge!  It's a bt like pulling flowers off first year strawberries - it is meant to increase harvest second year but is it really that vital for a small grower? I have never noticed any difference...

The rhubarb starts to lose stalks at the end of summer, they shrivel (you can them pull them off once they have all withered away). Leave the last ones to just fall off themselves. You can tidy them away over winter when the plant will more or less disappear. During autumn and winter, mulch it well with manure and compost and it will reward you in spring  ;)

Many thanks for your advice.