a society wedding at the church between Leslie Stoll (son of Putney resident Oswald Stoll) and Gertrude Sabey who had met at the nearby riding school. St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church, Kingston Hill This is a 1960s neo-Georgian brick church with a brick campanile giving it an Italianate touch. Culture and recreation Sports Kingston Vale is almost surrounded by open spaces, much reflected in the range of local activities; the east of the village/suburbs hosts Stag Lodge Stables, for horse-riding in adjoining Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common. The Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, adjacent to Wimbledon Common, hosts many sporting activities including Saturday/Sunday league football teams, as well as number of annual schools' rugby and women's football tournaments. It is the home ground of London Cornish RFC. Community activities An active local amenity group, the Kingston Vale Residents Association (KVRA), is a democratic body which deals with matters such as planning, conservation, transport, environment and social. The association's newsletter is called the Bottom Line, taking its name from the original Middle Ages name of the vale part of the area: Kingston Bottom. Kingston Vale's halls are used to host a variety of community activities including an art club, the local theatre group, a coffee club, meetings of the Residents' Association and many open-door events. The Kingston Vale Operatic Society (later Kingston Vale Operatic and Dramatic Society) was founded by local residents in 1943. Their first show was Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury at the Kingston Vale Village Hall in 1943. The group continued operating in the area until the late 2000s when the old village hall was converted to residential property but continues operating in the wider Kingston area. The village has a self-managed allotment site, which caters to some 60 plot holders from around the Borough and organises a range of social events. Museum The Dorich House Museum, a museum of sculpture and Imperial Russian art, is run both as a museum and a conference centre by Kingston University. Cultural events The playing fields host the annual Pongu Tamil event for the London area, a community rally attracting some 30,000 members of the British Tamil community. Notable people George Carey – ex-Archbishop of Canterbury John Galsworthy – author and Nobel prize winner Dora Gordine – sculptor Vanessa Greene – screenwriter and film producer Rich Johnston – cartoonist and writer Lily Langtree – Mistress of Edward VII lived in