Editing Mel Smith (section)

== Early life ==
Smith's father, Kenneth, was born in [[Tow Law]], [[County Durham]], and worked at a coal mine during the [[World War II|Second World War]]; looking after the [[pit pony|pit ponies]]. After the war ended, he moved to [[London]] and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a [[greengrocer]]s in [[Chiswick]]. When the government legalised high street betting with the [[Betting and Gaming Act 1960]], he turned the shop into the first [[betting shop]] in Chiswick.<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2013}} {{cite web |url=http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/7/22/164851.html |title=Newcastle one, Hollywood nil (From ''The Northern Echo'') |publisher=Archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk |date=22 July 2001 |access-date=8 December 2010 |archive-date=11 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211190524/http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/7/22/164851.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith was born and brought up in [[Chiswick]].<ref name="ODNB">{{Cite ODNB|id=107066|title=Smith, Melvyn Kenneth [Mel] (1952–2013)}}</ref> He was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick and passed his 11-Plus examinations. He was also a keen sportsman and played for two seasons in the Hogarth School football team. The first season he played under the captaincy of [[Gerry Francis]], the future English international and England captain. He applied and went to [[Latymer Upper School]], a now [[Private schools in the United Kingdom|private school]] in [[Hammersmith]]. He studied Experimental Psychology at [[New College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Cavendish, Dominic |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3653973/Im-hoping-to-cover-my-air-fare.html |title=I'm hoping to cover my air fare |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=22 July 2006 |access-date=24 May 2013 |archive-date=18 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018085029/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3653973/Im-hoping-to-cover-my-air-fare.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="bfi_bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/526237/ |title=Smith, Mel |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=20 July 2010 |archive-date=10 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010101709/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/526237/ |url-status=live }}</ref>