Congrats on the IMC, I did my night qual in the middle of the IMC training, I wanted to be confident on instruments first as well. Mind you I only use the night qual as an options extender should daylight become an issue; my own risk assesment doesn't include purposefully planning and going places at night.

Do it the right way around - or it may not be possible to do it at all!
 

When applying for a new Rating you now have to apply for your paper EASA
license at the same time.
As far as I am aware it is NOT currently possible to add an IMC / IR(R) to an existing EASA License - it can only be "Grandfathered" if you hold it on a UK Issued JAR or UK License.
Therefore do your IMC Rating FiRST and your new EASA License will have it (IR(R)) on it - "Granfathered" from the date of your test.

The possibility of adding new IR(R)s to an existing EASA License is still under
discussion - but EASA are not keen on National Ratings.

See my summary here: http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...ml#post7381780

It doesn't explicitly say that you can't add an IR(r) before April 2014 to an FCL licence (just that you can't do it after that date).

However the latest blurb suggests there may be some sort of conversion to a full IR from a pilot who has an IMCR (on a non-EASA licence - ie - one to fly Annex 2 aircraft) due to experience.
See http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...ml#post7495774 (I haven't read the original document).
Personally I'd want it written in stone as to what I would get if I did an IMCR before 2014 on my (hopefully soon to get) Part-FCL licence before investing the time & money. Good luck in contacting CAA though - they are still a bit snowed under with conversions at the moment I believe.

Thanks all - I shall be leaving the night flying for a while based on the feedback I've had! (Probably means 3 weeks between lessons, but that's winter for you)