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Hello, Pigale!
Nice to hear from you!
Tirreno-Adriatica is an elite Italian stage race.
It is often looked upon as good preparation for Milan-San Remo, which is the first of the Spring Classics (this coming Saturday).
Milan-San Remo is one of my favourites.
High speed all the way (at 300 kilometres, it is the longest Classic) in an effort to get rid of the sprinters before the finish!
There are ospreys not too far off, but the rangers say they are not "our" ospreys!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it always good to go the Crematorium (the cemetery adjoins it) especially on an auspicious occasion, as it were, such as an anniversary or birthday.
Our crematorium though looks sadly in need of some tlc - although I would put most of this down to the recent bad storms.
Usually it is upkept very well (is 'upkept' the right word - it sounds odd?)
It is good that the stage is becoming set for Cheltenham!
You will enjoy placing your (small!) bets!
I was going to ask you about the Tirreno-Adriatico, but I have read what you told Pigale!
Well done , Pete Sagan!
I have another "session" of "The Voice" to watch in a little while......and I shall need to record "Call the Midwife" which is on at the same time!
So more boring ads.........I shall pick up my book every "break "!



Hello, Jazzy!
Sorry, I have been away from the computer......
It is good that you will get to stay in Poole until Tuesday.
I hope your weather improves - tho' I'm sure you'll have a great time whatever.
Only one of those links worked - but it was great to see Poole quayside again.......
My daughter and family were there for a holiday last year.



Hi, Pigale!
It was only today that our weather turned to rain!
We have had some beautiful (warm) days this week!
Still wet now though.
I am looking forward to seeing the return of the ospreys.
Do you like the new site?



Chris..... have you been to Swanage and Langton Matravers etc recently?
It is an age now since we were there.......

Good evening, Elle!
I would venture that "upkept" would be the past tense of "upkeep" and therefore a perfectly acceptable word.
The girl exercising Vroum Vroum Mag had holes in the knees of her trousers!
I think Willie should have a word, or it may be the height of fashion in County Carlow!
I seem to remember granddaughters attired like that!
Yes, Peter Sagan is a super rider.
He will not be far away on Saturday, either.
I have not seen Call the Midwife.
A fine programme?
Stay near the 'phone for your cousin phoning, too.

Hey, Rusty!
Yes, I think "Call the Midwife" is a great programme, but I think it most probably would appeal to females?
(I'm happy to be shouted down tho' by any males who have seen it!)
It is a series following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, and early '60s.
It is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth , who worked with the Community of St. John the Divine, an Anglican religious order, at their convent in the East End in London.
I really enjoy it!
I have also read the books - a trilogy- and these are good too!
This is the last break... another 15 minutes and then my cousin
will be ringing........
She has strict instructions not to phone before 9 o'clock!
Now, back for "The Voice" results.......

Rusty, holes in knees (or anywhere on the leg) of jeans/trousers
have been fashionable for a while here, particularly among the youngsters of course.

Hello, Pigale!
It looks awful!
This was an attractive young lady leading a beautiful horse around the paddock.
Looked distinctly odd!

Upkeep is a noun, so can't be in the past tense.
I got this from this online dictionary: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
It also gives audio links to 'correct' British and American pronunciation.
I hope this is of use!

Hello, Kenyatta!
How are you?
Yes, I did think that "upkept" looked wrong when I wrote it.....but I was too lazy to check in the dictionary!
I'd thought that there was a verb "to upkeep"........obviously not!
Thank you for your input.

Hi, Rusty!
Further to my last post about "Call the Midwife" - tonight's was the last episode in this series!
So I shall be able to record next Sunday's session of "The Voice" and duly watch it "ad-less" later on.
I had meant to say that the trilogy of books covered only the first series of "Call the midwife".
The further episodes were specially written for the television series, and were not memoirs of Jennifer Worth at all.
They are well written though, and in keeping with the beginning of the programme.
We were both wrong about the use of "upkept"........
Kenyatta has just explained that "upkeep" is a noun only.
We had thought mistakenly that there was a verb, too.
We live and learn!
And on that note....I am going to bed...........

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I read Kenyatta's post.
Quite interesting.
I had a look online for an example of the word and found this,
in Wiktionary,
"Upkept. Simple past tense and past participle of upkeep."
Is there a difference between "simple past tense" and "past tense"?
I have no idea, and I have no idea what a "past participle" is.
I also found this,
"Dictionaries are upkept by academics who are authorities on the respective language."
There are other examples, too.
So, folk other than you, Elle, are using "upkept" as a word.
Anyway, you used the word and I understood exactly what you meant.