13/10/2026
In November 2024 our very close family friend Lee Price, died after a short illness.
Lee and his wife Juliet had been patrons at the pub for well over 25 years.
During that time, like so many of you, they had gone from being a customer to a regular to a friend and then part of our family.
In 2015, alongside my husband Karl and myself, Lee and Jules completed the Oxfam 24 hour trail walker from Queen Elizabeth country park to Brighton racecourse.
This is where our friendship was cemented. Hours and days of training walks really allow you time to get to know people properly and I can safely say there was no one quite like Lee, he was such a genuine and wonderful human, a true gentleman and we miss him every day.
While talking to Juliet one day after Lee died, she asked if it was possible if she could put a bench in the garden in memory of lee. My immediate answer was yes, it would be my pleasure.
The Royal Oak, had always been a place for Lee to pop into, have a b**r and unwind after work on a Friday night.
It was also a place for him to nurture his interest in real ale and the pub trade in general.
Lee was always so enthusiastic to discuss all the different b**rs we served and keen to introduce me to different local breweries along the way. One very important brewery being Monkey Brewhouse and it is thanks to Lee that Tollhouse is now one of our permanent offerings.
Lee was keen to learn about how things worked behind the scenes and how to maintain high quality b**r and in February 2018, Lee took all this knowledge and opened The Saxon bar, an independent micro pub located near the town centre in Christchurch.
A completely different space from the Royal Oak, Lee and his team took all his passion and made this an award winning spot which is absolutely worth a visit if you haven’t been yet.
But it was more than just Lees local, it was Lee and Juliets happy place.
And like so many of you, to them it holds so many special memories, and as we talked earlier today Jules said to me about the pub, this is where happiness is, and I really am proud that we are able to create such a special place for people to come to.
Today at the Royal Oak we have become custodians of not just a bench but the most beautiful wooden sculpture to honour Lee.
I can say with complete honesty that this is such a unique piece of art it took my breath away when I first saw it in person and I couldn’t be more honoured that Juliet wanted us to be the ones to look after it for her.
This work of art was created by Tom ‘Carver’ Harvey and will remain in the garden and become part of the charm of the pub. It dances in the shadows and comes to life in the sunshine.
It has been placed so that no matter the season you can enjoy the beauty of the view from the bench.
Please come and use and enjoy this memorial seat, explore all the incredible details it has to offer, and use it to take a moment to remember loved ones and cherished memories you may have.
Thank you 💚🌳💚
Saxon Bar
www.carverharvey.co.uk
