[3] He had a career on The Daily Express and The Observer, where he was early editor of the colour magazine,[4] before becoming the first director of radio of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA)[5] from 1972 to 1987.

[4] He was educated at St Paul's School, and went on to read history at Pembroke College, Oxford.

[4] He began a career in journalism and in 1957 was sent to New York to write a column for Lord Beaverbrook's Daily Express.

Joining The Observer in 1962 after his return to London, Thompson became news editor before, from 1966 until 1970, he served as editor of the magazine, being remembered for putting The Who on its front cover and for taking on cookery writer Jane Grigson, then a young unknown.

[4] Thompson was married to Sally Waterhouse, a BBC producer, and they had three children: Piers, Barnaby and Eliza.