Country diary: Watching bats until it's too dark to see | Josie George

Stafford: On the top floor of a former shoe factory, the city reveals its wild sideWe've sneaked back to the office after hours. My partner has been working late here recently and has promised me that if I sit by the window as the sun sets, I'll see something special. Our office rental is on the top floor of an old Midlands shoe factory. From our window, we can see half a dozen other Victorian relics, some derelict, with buddleia growing through the broken glass. They squat over a maze of cramped terraces: warm red bricks, slate roofs, drooping washing lines and ornate chimney pots.My high-up view slowly fills with golden rectangles as people switch on their lights. A bright, almost full moon begins to rise. Midges buzz and bounce against the window, drawn to the glow and, ah - could that be a clue? Continue reading...