Wow!
Having listened to ATIS I was expecting a standard overhead join into a RH circuit. As far as I remember the controller said “can you join left downwind”. It was very busy and I was quite tired having flown for three hours and I just couldn’t visualise what it meant. I asked “confirm right hand circuit” which was confirmed. I think I read back ‘join left downwind’ and I then spent a few seconds getting more confused and with much radio chatter and several calls asking if I was visual with the Cherokee (or some such) on base (or some such) I was overwhelmed and then simply announced that I had lost situational awareness and was departing the circuit to the South for rejoin. I then rejoined overhead, descended dead side and joined RH normally. Not my finest circuit moment. I don’t think he could have been asking me to do a LH circuit as he would not have then confirmed a RH circuit. I assume he was simply asking me to join downwind rather than overhead, which makes sense (now!) as I was approaching from the correct direction for that. Maybe I should have said “are you simply asking me to join downwind?”. Anyway he was very helpful on the rejoin and after landing I thanked him for his help and he made a brief, pleasant ‘no problem’ sort of comment.
Thank you for all your replies
Matt