The life of my grandmother, Patricia Cross, who has died aged 93, was profoundly affected by the second world war and the subsequent provision of healthcare, housing and education, from which her family was to benefit. While she left school at 14, for example, two of her grandchildren went on to obtain doctorates.
Born in Egham, Surrey, to Henry Johnson, a stoker, and Rose (nee Hutchins), a cleaner, Patricia left her local school to work as a domestic servant, a position that her mother had secured for her. But this did not last for long and she found herself a job as a machinist in a clothing factory, which gave her a trade that would prove useful after the war.
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