roles. He specialised in GCSE and A-level Physics but also prepared boys for Oxbridge entrance and the International Physics Olympiad, taught Mathematics and Science to the Junior and Lower schools, the specialist Electronics course in Year 9, and even found time to teach Science at the Saturday school for local primary school children. Despite the excellence of his own knowledge of Physics, he will perhaps be best remembered in the classroom for his patience with the less science-minded boys, qualities which were also prominent in his pastoral care as a form tutor. His activities were not confined to the classroom. His rugby playing commitments did not allow him much time for rugby coaching, but he still often ran one of the younger Dulwich rugby teams, the College 3rd XI cricket team and he was Upper School Housemaster of Howard. As a former RAF officer, Jon was persuaded to join the CCF soon after arriving at the College. Within two years he was commanding the RAF section, but transferred to the Army section in 1995 and increased numbers of cadets in the CCF at a time of MOD spending cutbacks. He was also President of the Common Room, so his was the staff’s voice in official dealings with the Governors and the Master, and staff could rely on him to anticipate and diplomatically resolve problems at an early stage. Jon started riding motorcycles when he was a teenager and did not pass his car driving test until he was already 29. He travelled between his home in Chiswick and Dulwich by motorbike and even used the bike for some exciting acceleration lessons in Junior Physics! Even after leaving Dulwich in 2002, he still played for Old Actonians Rugby Club and played on the Saturday before he was diagnosed with cancer in March 2007. His fitness may have helped him to fight his serious illness for so long. Another favourite pastime of his was bridge. He was encouraged to play by his mother-in-law and was soon joining the lunchtime bridge sessions in the Common Room at Dulwich. He continued to play almost weekly with his retired Dulwich friends after he left the College. He also played bridge regularly in Chiswick, and loved University Challenge, crosswords and Sudoku, and read many books on British history, especially those on the Second World War. He was a good and loyal friend. He was entertaining and could remember a huge number of jokes. It was always great fun to spend an evening with him and so he had a large number of close friends, both male and female, who loved his company. He is certainly missed by all of them.
Michael Douglas William Oakley Brooke (1935-42) 18.06.1924 – 15.02.2011 Michael Brooke came to the College from nearby Dulwich Hamlet School, and immediately fell in love with the theatre. Whilst at the College, as well as being involved in school drama productions he also joined a local amateur dramatic group where he frequently played parts as adults. After leaving Dulwich, he joined the Irish Guards for the latter stages of World War 2, but toured extensively in a ‘Stars in Battledress’ production with other people like Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. Mike was a superb impressionist and had a highly successful cabaret act called ‘Michael Brooke – Creating an Impression...’. He married Lucille at St Thomas More Church, Dulwich, in 1968 and together they produced a daughter. His entire working career was in management with the London Electricity Board (LEB), but his real love was amateur theatre, and he was Treasurer of the Dulwich Players group for 30 years. His favourite type of production was comedy farce, and his favourite part ever was as Charley’s Aunt. When Mike retired from the LEB, he became busier than ever with charitable work for the NSPCC, becoming a steward at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, amongst other projects. He and Luci moved to Bournemouth in 1999, where he continued his enjoyment of theatre and also gardening, winning a ‘Bournemouth in Bloom’ gardening prize in 2010. They also were supporters of several theatres and amateur dramatic groups in Bournemouth and became patrons. Mike wrote a comedy play for one of the drama groups which received excellent reviews. Despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease over his last few years, he remained gentle, patient and kind, with impressions and humour through to the end. His close friend, TD, contributed significantly to this obituary. Jonathan Brownridge (Assistant Master, 1986-2002) 26.05.1956 – 22.10.2012
Jonathan Brownridge was born in Ipswich in 1956 where his father was a Senior Commissioned Shipwright on HMS Ganges. Many of his family were in the armed forces and Jonathan was briefly in
the RAF, achieving the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He then became a Physics teacher and from 1981 to 1986 was at Davies’ College in central London. He then moved to Dulwich College, where he taught for 16 years and took on many other
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