getting a hoover 750lc wash machine started again?

Have recently aquired a hoover 750lc washing machine... I opened it the other day while it was at the beginning of a wash to throw on a few odd bods I'd missed.... it wouldn't start again. Finally (and I don't know how) I got it working again.
today we ran a hot wash through it for the first time... it's full of water and stopped, no matter what I do I can't get it started again - please - any one got any ideas. We don't have a manual for it - it must be simple but I'm totally at a loss!
Olivia