Don't worry, Paddy, there are people who fly the airbus like it would be no aircraft anymore but a game boy ;-)
I've seen quite some operators now and can confirm that there are two different schools of procedures: One that flies the Airbus exactly like AI teaches them, and the others who have their own procedures, checklists, call outs and of course also their own way of flying it. The later are mainly "classical" airlines with a long history like LH, SR, LX, US operators. They also run their own training department and own sims.
You can't say one way is better than the other, as you suggest. But I have the feeling that Airbus procedures are ment to be fool proof, while they also tend to produce pilots who loose basic flying skills.
Dani