Sorry, did someone refer to 1000ft agl as "low level" back then? Is that from the same school of thought that says more than 20 degrees AoB in the circuit is dangerous, lest your aeroplane fall over? (Chuckles....)
Me probably
Low enough to give you only a few seconds if something goes wrong. High enough to kill you if you fall from it
I can't see much wrong with the American 45 join myself. You can still over fly the airfield at a safe height, descend well clear of the airfiled, then come inbound on a 45 degree join onto downwind. Works well, even in a busy traffic environment.