Alistair and Beryl (and the meaning of the word "posh")

We really enjoy our Tuesday evening Bible study each week with Beryl and Alistair. They are members of the church in Bristol, and they are the only ones that live in our area. (It is over an hour's drive to Bristol.) Right now we are studying the book of Romans.

The top picture shows them in their backyard, or "garden", as the English say. The picture doesn't do their garden justice at all, because it does not show any of their flowers. The garden is bordered all the way around by flowerbeds that are perfectly manicured and full of beautiful flowers. Beryl is quite an expert on flowers!

The next photo shows their sunroom, or "conservatory", as it is called here.

This next photo shows part of their living room (called lounge).
I really need to get pictures of the outside of their house. They call it a "bungalow" because it is not attached to another house and because it is one-story. It is about the size of our house and about 11 or 12 years old.

We have learned a lot about England, especially this area of England, from visiting with them. This past week Beryl said that if she were to serve a "posh" meal, it would consist of several courses. She asked if we knew the origin of the word "posh" and of course, we didn't. She said that it is an abbreviation for the words "Port Out, Starboard Home." She said that long ago rich English would travel from Britain to India by ship. They always requested, and paid more money, for the side of the ship that was on the port side leaving England and on the Starboard side coming back. That would give them the cabins with the breeze and protection from the hot sun as they traveled through the Suez Canal and Red Sea area. Their tickets were stamped "P.O.S.H." Gradually that became a word associated with wealth, wealthy people, fancy, and expensive.
I looked the word up on the computer the next day. Beryl's story is the most widely accepted idea by the English people, and it is repeated often. However, there is no actual proof, and the shipping companies do not have any record or copies of tickets with that word stamped on them. Many experts say that the word "posh" is London slang for money and that it probably derives from the Romany (gypsy language) language, where "posh" is part of a word that means half-penny. Through the years that word began to be applied to money in general, then to the well-off or upper class. (This version of the story has been found recorded much earlier than the ship version.)
I kind of like the P.O.S.H. version of the origin of the word the best!

There is a man, Michael Quinion, who has written a book about word origins. In England the book is called PORT OUT, STARBOARD HOME and in the U.S. the book is called BALLYHOO, BUCKAROO, AND SPUDS.