It may be dark but there are always places to explore in the countryside of London.
As dusk falls in Kensington Gardens it is time for bats to dart from tree to tree or hover above the calm waters of the Serpentine. They are gentle and fascinating creatures - the mother bats gather together and take care of each others' babies, hiding in the crevices of the mature and veteran trees across Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.
They may be elusive to the untrained eye but join a guided bat walk and they can be discovered all around the park. They fly so quickly in the night sky that they are difficult to spot at first but once a bat appears, keep looking up and around and more will come.
In less than a blink of an eye they have gone. The whole experience is enchanting, as though we are seeing real live fairies flitting around us, teasing us with their appearance and disappearance.
Night time in Hyde Park
There are other ways to experience the capital's countryside at night.
An evening training session with a group of runners along the canal paths of the city, with swans eyeing us suspiciously and smoke from the chimneys of the houseboats along the way blowing away in the cold night air.
A midnight hike through Epping Forest with a group of friends, nothing louder than a whisper and shielding the light from torches, listening for owls and rustling in the bushes of nocturnal creatures. Then reaching a high point by dawn to watch the sun rise.
Join guided bat walks in Epping Forest, The Royal Parks or on Hampstead Heath