theDaveB wrote: ... I haven't spent a lot on a bike as didn't want to unless I really loved touring and was going to make use of a more expensive bike. ...
Good thinking. I've often posted on here that it's pointless drooling over catalogues then shelling out for a bike till you know you like cycling, by which time you'll also have a better idea of what sort of bike suits you, rather than what suits Team Sky etc.
So for my £200 bike I thought a trailer would be better for it than panniers.
You have the trailer now and it's a good one, but a quick check of current prices suggests it cost 50% more than the bike.
Anyway, in an age when an awful lot of people couldn't ride a bike to the end of the street, you've made a valiant start. While you may not have achieved your own targets, there's nothing wrong with aiming high and I don't think anybody would agree with the implication of failure in your thread title so don't be put off.