How do I clean dirty plates?

Wash them by hand in a plastic bowl using warm water and mild soap. A soft brush helps dislodge dirt from the raised enamels. Never put these in a dishwasher. The harsh detergents and high heat will strip the overglaze decoration in a single cycle.

I found a large punch bowl at a car boot sale that has lots of pink flowers and people on it but the rim has a metal band covering it up, why is that there?

That metal band usually hides a damaged rim. Owners in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries often repaired chipped or cracked porcelain rather than throwing it away. Silversmiths or itinerant repairers fitted a tight band of silver or base metal over the edge to stabilise the bowl. It keeps the piece usable and stops hairline cracks from spreading further down the body.

Can I serve food on them?

You can use plates in good condition for dry food. Biscuits or sandwiches are fine for occasional use. Avoid hot liquids, wet meals, or anything acidic. Citrus and vinegar can dull the surface of the enamels over time.

My grandmother left me a pair of tall vases with pink and green birds on them and they have these strange raised bump patterns all over the white background, what is that called?

You're describing a technique known as slip decoration. Potters apply liquid clay to the surface before glazing to create a textured, raised pattern on the white ground. In the context of Antique Famille Rose, this is often called sgraffito or a graviata ground. It became popular in the eighteenth century to give the porcelain a richer, more tactile feel.

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Antique Famille Rose

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Chinese porcelain decorated with an opaque pink overglaze enamel derived from colloidal gold, produced extensively from the eighteenth century onwards for both domestic use and the European export trade.