Former Latymer Upper Schoolmates Pay Tribute to Mel Smith

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Fellow Latymerians share memories after comic's suddent death

 

Latymer Upper School staff and former schoolmates have been paying tribute to comedian Mel Smith, who died on Saturday July 20 at the age of 60 from a heart attack.

 

Mel Smith with comedy partner Griff Rhys-Jones

 

 

Born in Chiswick on December 3, 1952 over a fish and chip shop, Mel Smith went to school at Hogarth Primary School and then attended Latymer Upper in Hammersmith's King Street until 1971, where friends say he first took to the stage starring in school shows and plays.

The tributes were led by the school's current head David Goodhew @LatymerHead who said simply: V sad to hear news of Mel Smith's death.

Fellow Latymer Upper alumni, who call themselves Latymerians, followed  with their own memories. Edward Latymer @edward-latymer, the official profile for all alumni, tweeted a collective message: Very sad news about Mel Smith (1971), our thoughts are with his family & friends.

Others tweeted their own personal thoughts:

CharlieKemp ‏@Kempez77 RIP Mel Smith, a fellow Chiswick and Latymer boy and one of my 1st comedy heroes.

David Vick ‏@DavidVick5 Shocked to hear of the death today of Mel Smith, who was in the year below me at school.

Benjamin Wallfisch ‏@benwallfisch RIP Mel Smith - a towering comic genius and also my Dad's best mate at Latymer Upper. A wonderful family friend who will be sorely missed

rufus jones ‏@rufusjones1 RIP Mel Smith. Revered his jowly brilliance. An old boy at my school - he encouraged me to goon about onstage. He was terrific.

Perhaps most poignant was this message from Ed Stilliard ‏@SuperEd209 RIP Mel Smith who was at school with my late father. There's a small Latymer reunion going on upstairs. Good drinks I hope.

Other tweets provided revealing details about Mel Smith's connections to the school. Journalist and author Peter Popham ‏@peterpopham tweeted #MelSmith did not discover acting at Oxford - he was an acting prodigy at Latymer Upper School - playing Falstaff brilliantly at age 16 RIP.

And from Daily Telegraph columnist Richard Eden ‏@richardaeden Sorry to learn that Mel Smith has died aged 60. Comic generously donated £1.5m to help poorer children attend his alma mater, Latymer Upper.

 

July 22, 2013