just to clarify mach jump, is there a regulation in england that says: no circles on downwind?
It's a little of each.
There's a rule that says that aircraft must conform with the traffic pattern, and make all turns to the left, unless otherwise indicated from the ground.
Most people consider an aircraft orbiting in the circuit to be failing to conform with the traffic pattern.
MJ if LEFT pattern was standard, we would refer to the other side as RIGHT PATTERN.
We refer to whichever side is not in use by the circuit traffic as the 'dead side', and the the side with the circuit traffic, rather unsurprisingly, as the 'live side'.
MJ
