Thanks for your support and kind comments. I don't think Darren meant anything nasty by his comment, he was just stating his opinion, which we are all entitled to do.
In my case, I feel that the officer who looked into the application seriously over looked the financial information we sent him, as well as my sponsor letter. If there were any doubt, he could have picked up the phone and called me or e-mailed me. Hence the decision to appeal.
Whether there should be an appeals process for Tourist Visas is a debate for another time. However, as the law stands currently, there is a process, and as a British tax payer I have every right to use that process. I don't think I've ever had good value for the tax I've paid over the last 23 years of my working life, so it's about time I got something back from the system I have worked hard to pay for