I believe that it is timely that Dr. B. D. Yallop, Head of HMNAO, has responded to criticisms and the discussions surrounding the inclusion of ‘Sight Reduction Procedures’ and ‘Sight Reduction Tables’ beginning with the 1989 edition of the Nautical Almanac. As my name was mentioned by Dr Yallop, I would like to set out my own views on some aspects of those discussions because I believe that both the ‘theoreticians” and the ‘practitioners” positions have become too polarized.