Christa Ackroyd

Christa Ackroyd argues that crying is a healthy and distinctly human form of emotional release rather than something to be ashamed of. Drawing on a friend’s emotional breakdown after prolonged stress, her own experiences, scientific explanations and cultural references, she contends that social expectations discouraging men and women from crying are harmful. She presents genuine emotion and empathy as qualities that artificial intelligence cannot truly reproduce, making them central to human purpose and relationships. The column concludes by encouraging readers to welcome tears arising from grief, beauty, love and laughter.

Christa Ackroyd celebrates Hannah Hauxwell on what would have been her 100th birthday, presenting the isolated Yorkshire farmer as a symbol of the county’s stoicism, independence, humour and resilience. She recalls Hauxwell’s difficult life running an 80-acre farm without electricity or running water, the huge public response to the Yorkshire Television documentary Too Long A Winter, and the improvements and worldwide attention that followed. Although fame eventually enabled Hauxwell to travel and retire from the farm, Ackroyd argues that her character and values remained unchanged and continue to represent the best of Yorkshire.