... so it seemed right to have your outside hand on the control column and your inside hand on ... throttles with your thumbs close to the disconnect button for the automatics and the auto throttles.
Can't disagree with that - as I said. Just include the 'radio switches' on the outboard and everyone's happy.
I knew about the Belfast Autopilot but I couldn't find a decent cockpit photograph. The only one I've seen doesn't (seem to) show a huge A/P cut-out, a la Trident.
PS. Interesting - from Wiki.
The Trident’s autopilot had separate engagement switches for the pitch and roll components, and although the normal autopilot disengagement was by means of a conventional control yoke thumb-button, it was also possible to disengage the roll channel while leaving the pitch channel engaged. In these operations the pilot had acquired full visual reference, normally well above decision height, but instead of fully disengaging the autopilot with the thumb-button, called for the second officer to latch off the roll channel only. He then controlled the lateral flight path manually while monitoring the autopilot’s continued control of the vertical flight path – ready to completely disengage it at the first sign of any deviation. While this sounds as if it may add a risk element in practice it is of course no different in principle to a training pilot monitoring a trainee’s handling during on-line training or qualification.