David Cameron charmed the traders of one of Birmingham's busiest inner-city districts on a low key visit. Chief Reporter Neil Connor took a stroll down Ladypool Road after he left and could still feel the warm glow.
Three years ago, Ladypool Road was hammered by a tornado which left debris on the streets and dark clouds in its wake.
But with a pair of eco-trainers and a smile as wide as some of the balti bowls that make the area what it is, David Cameron sprinkled enough magic to turn that ordeal into a distant memory.
It may have been raining in Balsall Heath yesterday, but shopkeepers, pub landlords and workers were all in high spirits following a visit by the Conservative Party leader which was intended to be far from the glare of publicity.
After his visit to the street on Wednesday evening and yesterday, Mr Cameron went on a marathon visit of community groups around the south-west inner city areas of Birmingham.
But despite this rapid tour, there was very little mention of politics.
"The only thing he said to me was that he was glad that Gordon Brown was taking over," said Kamaran Ishtiaq, owner of Raja Brothers grocery store.
"He thinks he will be less of a challenge than Blair."
But then Mr Cameron might have been too busy to speak about issues of state - because he was selling nan breads and chappatis to Mr Ishtiaq's customers at the till.
Mr Ishtiaq said: "He is very genuine. I did not treat him like a celebrity and he did not act like one. He wanted a tour around my store and he asked about how the business was going. He was really interested in everything I was saying. He then asked if he could have a go on the till.
"He said he wanted to find out about life in the inner cities and he wanted me to tell the truth.
"He is genuine, and I think he is far more popular around here than Tony Blair is. There is no doubt about that. I have met lots of celebrities, including the rapper 50 Cent, but I think David Cameron was the best. He was not flash - he was very laid back.
"When he was on the till, I tested his skills by pretending to buy something. But then I accused him of short-changing me. He saw the funny side of it."
Mohammed Hussain, manager of the grocery store, agreed with Mr Ishtiaq, again underlining that the Tory push for more support in the cities might just be working.
He said: "He was very nice with the customers and he was very good on the till. Many people were surprised to see him, but he got on with everyone really well. He was very casual, both in the way he was dressed and the way he was acting."
Further down the road Mr Maroof Iqbal, owner of Lahore Fruit Corner, must have thought he was in Balsall Common rather than Balsall Heath, as the talk of the town was about the well-mannered gentleman with the Eton education.
Mr Iqbal said: "Everyone was talking about him being here. I wanted to meet him but I couldn't. He had a meeting with all the community leaders and everyone was impressed. I will almost certainly be voting Tory."
Pravin Gohil, landlord of The George pub on Ladypool Road, said Mr Cameron had a pint of John Smiths bitter after he nibbled on some chicken tikka bites at the nearby Karachi Cafe.
A lively discussion over dinner
When David Cameron stopped in with Balsall Heath resident Abdullah Rehman, it was the politician who did most of the listening and very little of the talking.
Mr Rehman, a neighbourhood warden at the local Balsall Heath Forum community group, said there was not a single conversation about politics.
The Prime Minister might have been stepping down and his Chancellor grasping for the reins of power but in the quiet cul-de-sac of Raglan Road, the great issues of Westminster was a no-go area.
This visit, according to 37-year-old Mr Rehman, was about the Conservative Party leader seeing the real issues in inner city areas.
Mr Cameron may have been staying in a six-bedroomed house which is close to the border of leafy Edgbaston, but it was a stone's throw from one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Birmingham.
The main scene of political debate came over dinner, when Mr Rehman's wife, Shahidah, cooked chicken curry, meat curry and mixed vegetables.
Mr Rehman said: "I had a very nice time with Mr Cameron. He is a very down-to-earth person. He said all along that he wanted the visit to be private because he wanted to learn about community cohesion.
"He wanted to find out how Balsall Heath transformed itself from a run down, crime-ridden area to what it is today. He also wanted to stop with a normal Asian family.
"He was very easy to live with; he did not say a word about politics, he wanted to listen.
"We had a lively discussion over dinner and that was about the extended family values of Asian families. He agrees that it is a good thing to have close families."
When he arrived at about 5pm on Wednesday, he took a walk up to Edward Road, where he met some of the shopkeepers.
He then went to a community organisation called Local Leagues, which offers football coaching for deprived youngsters.
Mr Cameron then visited a women-only gym before his visit to the shopkeepers and businesses of Ladypool Road.
From there he went to the headquarters of Balsall Heath Forum where he met community leaders, then he came back to Mr Rehman's for dinner.
Yesterday morning the Tory leader went to St David's School in Moseley, a Jewish school with 60 per cent Muslim pupils. He watched the pupils recite prayers in Hebrew before attending a debate.
Mr Cameron then visited a run-down football pitch, where he helped local residents remove rubbish. He also used a shovel to help make the area more attractive.
Later in the day, it was helping residents tidy up a car park on Ladypool Road, where he found a needle that had been used to inject drugs.
He then visited a Muslim faith school in Clifton Road before arriving at the St Paul's community group, which supports children who have been excluded from school.
"I think when he met the Asian business people, he realised that most of them are Conservative. He got on with them very well," Mr Rehman said.
"He said that he had learned a lot about the importance of giving communities the tools to make their own decisions.
"He said that he had a challenge to give more power to communities."
Mr Rehman's eight-year-old daughter Armanah said she spoke to the Tory leader about their favourite football team - Aston Villa.
>> Click here to see eight short videos shot by David Cameron on his visit to Birmingham.
