he was appointed the first field archaeologist of leicester museum service from 1961 to 1965, when he was made assistant curator of archaeology at bristol museum, becoming their curator of agriculture and social history in 1969. in 1970 he moved to london to become director of the guildhall museum and from 1977 to 1997 was director of the new museum of london. he was also president of the uk museums association; and from 1977 to 1979 president of the london and middlesex archaeological society.