Richard Oubridge BY TOM GOODRICH
Richard joined Dulwich College in September 1999, starting off his time here as Junior School IT coordinator and Year 5 Form Tutor. Over the subsequent 25 years, he took on a multitude of varied roles with enthusiasm and diligence. Richard’s interest in and aptitude for Comput- ing meant that he was an ideal candidate to coordinate the timetabling across the Junior School. Despite this being a job that many would see as burdensome, it suited Richard’s very analytical mind and he has a healthy stubborn streak when it comes to a challenge. As a result, the timetables have been delivered on time, with much professionalism and with very little fanfare, for the last 15 years. The same self-deprecating tolerance was seen in Richard’s work on organising cover. It is the very definition of a thankless task, yet he discharges this duty with an overriding sense of fairness and a quiet gratitude – and (though he would never mention it) he will often take on extra cover himself when something crops up at short notice. It was during his first few years at the College that Richard became a Junior School Housemaster, and for over 20 years he steered his beloved Grenville through many ups and downs. There was the golden era of back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2009, when Richard could have been forgiven for sensing a long period of dominance ahead; and then the many subsequent years of near misses, before Grenville emerged victorious once again in 2020. Richard has always been a great supporter of the House system, recognising the many benefits for the boys, and harnessing the passion, camaraderie and healthy com- petition that it affords. Richard himself has organised countless House competitions – both sporting and cultural – and it is easy to forget that he orchestrated and presid-
ed over the very first Junior School team-building day, an event that kicks off the Junior School calendar every September to this day. Richard’s love of hockey has been a key element of his time at Dulwich, and it is fitting that in his final year with
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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