Busy Bees and Cocoa Bow

Morning activities, on Monday 28th February, were inspired by the relief panel at 161 Bow Road which marked the building as the one time home to a branch of the Stratford Co-operative & Industrial Society. The bees are emblems of collective hard graft, and the beehive is the place where bees gain benefits from mutual co-operation. The object of the Co-op was to purchase goods in bulk at low prices and instead of giving the profits to shareholders pass this benefit on to their members as lower retail prices and in dividends. 

Staff and children at Bow Childcare brought the scene to life with colour and movement, making a small swarm of 3D bees and layers of paper honey combs.

Taylor Place is named in memory of the Taylor Brothers, famous chocolate manufacturers who at one time had buildings on the site. The same reference is carried through in the naming of each residential block e.g. Fondant Court, Caramel Court, Praline Court and Mocha Court

In the afternoon, fusing the past use and the new shape and names of the place, the children co-created delicious, edible model buildings using chocolate waffles, caramel cookies, honey and chocolate spread and sweets.