1. P2P only applies to clubs affiliated to the EBU and, even then, only to those who stay affiliated. In our vicinity there are only very few clubs currently affiliated including Warrington, Hartford and Deva. Therefore those players who are members of "smaller clubs in Cheshire" are not and will not be effected unless they play some of their bridge in an affiliated club that stays affiliated.
2. I think your comments about a lack of in depth consultation to affiliated clubs has some substance but there was some consultation - you may recall that the EBU Clubs representative did come to Hartford, by invitation, and gave a full account of the objectives and listened attentively to the comments of members. The voting arrangements within the EBU are curious, in my view, and may well have given a result last June which did not fully reflect the views of all members. As far as I am aware all affiliated clubs will be consulting their members fully as to whether they wish to remain affiliated, once the full details of future affiliation are made available later this year.
3. Some aspect of the role of the EBU are clearly remote from the interests of ordinary club players, e.g. organising teams to represent England in international competitions and running Congresses etc but this does not mean that the activities are not desirable or necessary. Along with this type of activity are those functions of a national body which are relevant to ordinary players (whether EBU members or not) such as training of bridge teachers, training of TDs, producing material for schools to use to introduce children to the game, producing movement books and the definitive rules etc. I do not agree with your comments about TDs in small clubs "organising sessions and making rulings based on common sense" - you cannot set up a movement based on common sense -- all movements which work were originally produced as a result of careful construction. The interest in my TDs familiarisation courses suggests to me that small club TDs want to make correct rulings not cobble them up as they go along.
4. You make some assertions about the current cost of affiliation which are wrong. The annual cost depends on the number of members of the club and will be considerably greater than the £20 you quote for most affiliated clubs. On top of this is the cost of local points which all affiliated clubs give out on at least one session a week. The EBU have stated very clearly that they are aiming P2P to be financially neutral in comparison with the current cash flow from clubs and members. It remains to be seen of course as to whether this turns out to be correct. The administrative costs of running P2P to individual affiliated clubs are not, in my opinion, likely to be significant although whether the EBU can cope with the complexity is another matter - their track record with IT systems is not good. 
5. You mention the Cheshire Bridge Network almost in the context of being an alternative to the EBU. I would like to refer back to the opening discussion in the CBN in which the founding members stated very clearly that it was not being set up in competition with the EBU neither would it have a view about P2P -- that was the territory of individual clubs. The CBN role was complementary and additional in that it was to exchange information and, maybe, organise local events (like the Cheshire Cat Cup Teams in February).

3rd. December 2008
Sir,
Winnington Bridge Club have just purchased two sturdy, 3ft square plastic topped Bridge Tables on line from GPRProducts.co.uk for £45.99 each (+delivery). The metal legs fold back underneath in pairs and are held there by large Terry clips. Rather heavy but have been received well by club Members.
Terry Smith, Winnington Bridge Club