Arnold was backbone of the department and ‘father’ to many generations of archaeologists who respected and loved him for his quiet authority, depth of knowledge, and genuine kindliness. Although the department has changed considerably since he retired his loss will be deeply felt by present as well as past staff and students no matter in what part of the world they are now living. Arnold will always be remembered as the man who first got archaeology at Bradford off the ground, developing it from a side-shoot of physics into a multi-skilled academic course. Especially during the early years, when Bradford was virtually the only university to offer a scientific basis to archaeology, graduates had particularly good opportunities to find subsequent employment both in archaeology and in associated disciplines because of their varied practical training. Perhaps most importantly, Arnold’s personality gave the department a family feeling. Students often tend to return for reasons varying from conference attendance to purely social visits, suggesting their time spent as under- or post-graduate is remembered with affection. Those who knew Arnold Aspinall must celebrate the fact that they did, they were fortunate, and in spite of their grief the highest compliment they can now pay to Arnold’s memory is rejoice that he played such a valuable part in so many people’s lives for so many years.