OK, things have moved on a bit - but not necessarily for the better.
brain, you ask why the threshold elevation is put on the ATIS. Well, here goes my take on it again. BRS IS ON TOP OF A 600ft HILL. If a pilot gets something wrong there's every possibility that the aeroplane will make a dent in the side of the hill before the pilot gets a chance to spot his error. Whilst I respect your experience and professionalism, as Standard points out, not all pilots are as good as you and the belt and braces stuff is for their benefit. Be kind and put up with a bit more info than you need for the benefit of those less fortunate than yourself.
Oh, and
Can't speak for anyone else but the only time I ask what number we are is when I'm hoping we're no 1 so I can ask for a visual!
in the interests of brevity and good use of R/T time, why not say "ABC123 has the field in sight and happy to take a visual approach". This will save the controller having to guess why you're asking that question - that we've established is of little value - and clearly indicates your wishes.
Out.