I agonised about renewing my S&T sub when it was due to expire a few months ago. I was very close to letting it lapse.
As others have said, it simply is NOT the quality publication it used to be.
This was not helped by having the same experience as Jimmy: renewing online did seem to be impossible from the UK.
I e-mailed the publishers and got an acknowledgement from a robot, but nothing from a human.
Eventually, my unbroken paper mag collection since 1981 swayed me to renew using the renewal card.
BTW, on the subject of The Astronomer magazine I recently informed Guy Hurst that there is a public house named ‘The Astronomer’ near Liverpool Street!
See https://www.theastronomerpub.co.uk/
Guy was amused by this ‘rival’ organisation, fittingly part of the Fuller’s chain!
Martin