You do not get to the top of a cut-throat political world by sharing gossip by the coffee machine so when I was offered a brief slot with Theresa May I wasn’t expecting revelations.

This isn’t a woman who tweets random thoughts at 3am. Theresa May considers every question before each carefully crafted reply.

We weren’t anywhere near a coffee machine either. This was strictly business. There were sofas, glasses of water, a timescale and a row of advisors.

The Prime Minister was in Cardiff to give a speech to the Conservative Party’s Spring Forum and give a rallying cry for unity as Britain prepares to trigger Brexit and negotiates departure from the EU.

Britain is four countries, but one people, was her message. But how do you get that message across to a Wales where for many people the Conservative Party is still seen as a divisive symbol with the ghost of Margaret Thatcher tugging at her heels?

The Prime Minister deflects the question saying I talk about division but her message is unity.

“I don’t think it is a divisive time,” she said. “We are four countries but one people. I want a government that works for everyone regardless of which part of the UK they live in and we are delivering on that.”

She points out that she values diversity but says half the population of Wales live within 30 miles of the border .

She adds that people essentially want the same things; good futures for their children, prosperity and jobs.

“I think Brexit was about more than leaving the EU. It was a vote for change and getting a country that works for everyone and that’s very important.

“There are people up and down the country who feel what we refer to as globalisation has passed them by.

“It is important people see their politicians as people who understand their issues.

“Our plan is about building a brighter future. People want to know their children are going to get a better future. It is important at this moment of change to show we can build that better future together.”

She does know Wales a bit too. She has been coming here every year “for some years” to go walking with husband Philip. They like to go either to Snowdonia or the Brecon Beacons. It is a break she cherishes as an opportunity to clear her head and think.

She hopes to be back soon to trek the hills, but cannot say for security reasons where or when that will be.

“Walking in Wales is an opportunity to get out and about and see scenery and clear your mind and your thinking. We stay in a hotel and try to walk every day. Walking is about relaxing, getting exercise and fresh air.”

When she comes to Wales she will pack detective novels because she likes to read them to relax. She won’t discuss politics with Philip while they walk though, because she says you have to concentrate too hard on where you’re treading in the hills or you may slip.

Mrs May is a serious woman and this is a negotiated conversation, but there are flashes of carefully balanced humour. I think she is making a joke, but am not sure.

She goes on to stifle my question about whether she worries that she may be seen as the Thatcher’s legacy in some parts of Wales by saying firmly, but with a smile: “There was only ever one Margaret Thatcher.”

So, how can this seemingly quintessentially middle class English woman, the daughter of a vicar, who grew up in Oxfordshire, convince people she is a unifying force who understands them?

Some are already convinced – she is quick to point out, using the fact Gower voted in its first Tory MP for more than 100 years in the 2015 General Election as evidence.

There are 11 Conservative MPs, plus 11 Tory AMs serving Wales today. But when asked whether there are pockets of Wales, such as the South Wales Valleys, which might be harder to reach, she insisted the Tory party is there for them too.

The PM said: “The Conservative Party message has been increasingly getting across in Wales. Look at the good results from the 2015 General Election.

“What matters is not where you were born or who your parent are or your background but your hard work and talent.”

Maybe she can reach out to women? She has, after all, described herself as a feminist, but even here she gives little away.

“I don’t think of myself as a role model (for women). Just by getting on and doing my job people can see a woman can be Prime Minister.”

Maybe food, I asked myself, is a safe avenue to pursue with the woman who is famously reticent about her private life?

And mention of food brings a smile. She has more than 100 cookery books and loves cooking. It is practical and useful, she says. Theresa May – here in immaculate make-up and wearing the same red suit and scarf she wore to meet US President Donald Trump in January – is clearly someone who likes to roll her sleeves up and get on with the job rather than nattering.

“I can’t eat Welsh cakes now because I have Type 1 diabetes,” she tells me, “but I like Welsh lamb and cheeses.

“Cooking is relaxing and creative and useful. I think what is important is delivering for people and recognising their concerns.”

There are certainly many things on the Prime Minister’s plate right now and many people who want different things.