Samosas and shot put welcome Theresa May to the Black Country
Prime Minister Theresa May turned chef for the day and tried her hand at making chapattis during a visit to a Walsall temple.
The PM dropped in to the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in West Bromwich Street today on a visit to the Black Country and Birmingham.
And she headed straight for the kitchen to help with food preparation for Vaisakhi celebrations.
Celebrated on April 14 each year, Vaisakhi is the festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa.
General secretary of the Gurdwara, Kundan Singh Khera, said: “She cooked some chapatti after having a look around the kitchen.
"She enjoyed a cup of tea in the hall with the Sikh community.
“She was very appreciative of the Sikh community.”
The PM also visited young athletes at Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham, which is to benefit from a £70 million investment to turn it into a world-class athletics venue ahead of the city hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Mrs May showed off her shot put skills on a visit to the stadium in Birmingham that will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The PM ditched her coat and joined children on an Easter sports camp at the stadium, winning a round of applause from the children when she practised her shot put with a bean bag.
The athletics arena, which was first opened in 1976, will have its capacity increased from 12,700 to 40,000 in time for the Games and will retain 20,000 permanent seats after the event.
The revamped stadium is also set to include community sports facilities within the new stand, a permanent warm-up track and a new conference meeting space created to host business and cultural events.
Mrs May said: “Birmingham’s dynamism, diversity and ambition capture exactly what it is to be part of the Commonwealth and I’m sure that in four years’ time, the people of this city will host an incredible event, which showcases the very best of Britain to the world.
“The investment I am announcing today will transform the stadium into a state-of-the-art facility benefitting the local community and the region well beyond 2022.”
Birmingham was awarded the right to host the Commonwealth Games at the end of last year.
Part of the competition will also be held in the Black Country, with a new aquatics centre to host swimming and diving events to be built in Smethwick.
Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is set to host biking events, including mountain biking.
