Or the Aussie checks:
A - Aircfraft (walkround)
B - Ballast - pilot wieghts + removeable
C - Controls - correct sense
D - (Tail) Dolly removed, DI book present
C - Controls - full and free
H - Harness
A - Airbrakes
O - Outside clear, crew to assist and Eventualitied
T - Trim + Flaps
I - Instruments
C - Canopy
Taking me a while to get used to after the UK, but it makes more sense to me.
As to downwind - never used a downwind check as such - and glad of it on occasion - each approach and landing is different. I have witnessed several people having landed wheel up after a long straight in final glide - comment after was that as they hadn't flown a circuit, they didn't do downwind checks, so totally forgot about it all.
I guess the tottie was at a club that also has a university club attached. Not all clubs in the UK are ageing. Those that are family friendly seem to be atracting youger members - they are also more fun to socialise at in general.
Any secutiry gimp or yellow vest is likely to have the P
taken to the extreme. Safety is a frame of mind, not a list of rules + yellow vests, etc.