>>>I remember coming into Norwich a couple of years ago - was on short finals in an Arrow with gear down, full flap, and probably at no more than 200ft height.
Another aircraft was at the hold waiting to line up, when ATC mixed up some instructions. Rather than clearing me to land and telling the other aircraft to hold position, he told me to hold position and then said something else to the other aircraft.
Told ATC that I wasn't really sure how he expected me to comply with the "hold position" instruction when at 200ft on short final, and told him I would do an orbit. Took down one stage of flap, left gear gown, applied more power to increase airspeed up to 90mph and did the orbit. I then landed without problem after the orbit when given clearance to land.
I then copped an earful from ATC along the lines of "WTF was that all about?" Prompt argument ensues - he listens to tape playback, and suddenly becomes apologetic.<<<<
Try that at our local equivalent of Norwich and they'd do more than give you an ear-bashing!!!!!
They may well have mixed up their calls, but you
a) don't try to land with another aircraft on the runway, unless you can be sure you have room to do so.
b) Orbiting at such a late stage may be a good way of getting the spacing required, but you would be backing up a lot of others behind you - certainly here.
c) ATC would have been within their rights to have told you to go-around, and I'm surprised they didn't.
In my innocent view, you were clearly in the wrong. You should just have gone around.