Ivor Smith attended the Crypt School in Gloucester before accepting a place at the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Liverpool University. After graduating, he returned to the Cotswolds where he met his wife Angela. After working as a veterinary assistant, Ivor set up a small veterinary practice in Churchdown in 1972, which grew to become a successful business over the next thirty years. Ivor retired from his practice in 2001 and now lives in Derbyshire.
