Nostalgia and Tonic

Whitepark Bay is the beach of my childhood, there was a path across the road from our family home that only close neighbours knew about; a shortcut to the dunes, the sand and the sea.  I have always been overly curious about what’s going on around me, fascinated with every detail of place; the geology that formed it, the people who have lived here, the habitat and wildlife within it, the flowers, the history and so on.  But also am particular; I prefer to look at Rathlin from Whitepark Bay rather than 6 miles down the road in Ballycastle because from here you can see the dramatic West cliffs and I have a romanticism and nostalgia embedded in these places I love most so I like to visit them as often as I can.

Looking East from the national Trust carpark to Rathlin beyond

Tim Robinson, the wonderful topographer, wrote about the places he loved in a way I could never imagine. Deep detail on the Connemara Bog and an understanding and respect for the land he called home.  I urge you to read his beautiful books, I fell more in love with Connemara through his words.

But back to my coastline…I’d love to show you it the way I see it.

My dad is a wildlife artist and all his life has had a fascination in the natural world, my mum a great cook and gardener also with a love of plants and wildlife. It is because of them that I pause at the top and notice the bluebells are out in their masses, primroses, hawthorn and a huge amount of garlic mustard.  I hear willow warbler, sedge warbler, spot a raven in the cliffs at the warren and a gannet fishing off the coast.  Everything about this place is alive and full of life; yet ancient.  It calms me, sorting my perspective; I feel I need a reset every once in a while.

Elder, Hawthorn, Garlic Mustard and Bluebell

Walking down the path I pass the Blackthorn in flower, where I picked Sloes 8 months previously, Elderflower in bud and the prehistoric Mares tail amongst Sorrel, Bramble and Lords and Ladies.  I note the Meadowsweet looking healthy this year.  Once on the sand I take the path through the dunes; it’s a hot day and the bay is naturally sheltered so it’s absolutely roasting, the scent of the wildflowers everywhere, rabbits, butterflies and a buzzard carrying something off to higher ground.  I turn the sleeves of my t-shirt up to work on my tan.

Small Heath Butterfly

The beauty of the dunes is the solitude as most people stick to the sand.  It’s completely tranquil, quiet and warm and I curse myself for not bringing a beer.  I detour to the top of the burial Cairn and slip into nostalgia remembering being here with grandparents, splashing in the waves with my best friend Ruth and partying a little naughtily as a teenager.  This place holds memories, safely stored in the ancient landscape. 

Orchids and Primrose

Once on the sand I notice the tide is unusually low and the clay is exposed to the eastern side of the bay.  We used to spend hours looking for fossils here as children; I don’t see anything today but Dad reminds me to look out for bones of the Great Auk; a bird hunted to extinction, gone by the end of the twentieth century.  Although I’m not sure I’d know if I found it!

For fossil hunters!

I walk round the corner to Elephant Rock and spend a few minutes dipping my toes in the ice cold water. You could continue to Ballintoy village from here, the Carrick a rede bar and the Fullerton Arms both do food and of course Ursa Minor minor for coffee and pastries! The Causeway Rambler bus service (402) runs frequently meaning you could get back to the car park easily.

The Arch; Eastern side of WPB

The walk back is along the sand, with my eyes fixed on the waves nearly the whole way.  I look away briefly when I hear the frantic warning call of a Ringed Plover and see a group of people have stopped for a picnic oblivious to the bird. Since it nests amongst the bare shingle and sand it’s possible they have trampled the nest without noticing, our sad disconnect to nature. 

There’s often cows on the beach munching seaweed

It’s a bit of a climb back up to the car park but I always hear my dad in my head ‘take your time, enjoy the hills’ and I do, I’m not in a rush and there’s plenty of pausing to look at plants and listen to the birds.  When I get back to the top, reinvigorated after such a gorgeous hour of exploring I hear someone say ‘I didn’t know you had to walk to the beach’, should I laugh or cry? How dare the beach be so far from the carpark.

Not a swimming beach as there is a rip tide and sand bars and is not patrolled by lifeguards.

TONIC/Ciara’s Buckfast

Hope the Monks don’t mind

I knew there were a few among us who could do with a little boost and so I made a tonic using the recipe from the fantastic book ‘The handmade Apothecary’ with a slight adaption. I also took some guidance from our local wonder Becky Cole’s book The Garden Apothecary.

2 handfuls Nettle tops (around 35g)

One handful Raspberry leaves

One handful Hawthorn blossom

One handful Dandelion leaves

Sulphur free dried apricots

Peel from unwaxed lemon/orange chopped

One bottle red wine

100ml brandy

2 tablespoons molasses

Teaspoon fennel seeds

Wash the leaves and blossom; this is easiest if you fill the sink with water then submerge the leaves, use your hand to agitate the leaves in the water.  Dirt and debris should fall to the bottom.  Do it a couple of times if you’ve picked near a road.  Chop all the leaves and apricots-I used the food processor. Sterilise a one litre jar and add the leaves, apricots and  peel.  Pour in brandy, molasses then the red wine-I found I had a little left over which you could use in cooking or just drink obviously!  Seal the jar and give a quick shake then leave in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.  Strain and decant into a sterilised bottle or jar put in the fridge and take a shot a day.

*Always consult doctor if using other medication, pregnant or breastfeeding etc

Tonic Mise en Place

Nostalgia scone pizza

Baring little resemblance to a scone or indeed a pizza, we loved these when we were kids and always asked mum to make them if we had friends coming over.  Of course mum didn’t exactly have a recipe so this was what I did.

90g Wholegrain flour

100g White flour

2 tsp Baking powder

Pinch Salt

50g Olive oil

105ml Milk

In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the centre and add the milk and oil, use a scraper to bring together it shouldn’t be dry but not too sticky. 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, roll out in to a rough circle around 25cm wide, just under a centimetre thick, add tomato sauce or a base sauce then bake for 15 mins, take out and add your other toppings then bake for another 10 minutes. Ridiculously easy, should have everything in the cupboard and great for using up leftovers too.

Neither scone nor pizza