FROM bleaching the doorstep to a meticulously ordered crisps cupboard, Chantelle Devonshire goes to great lengths when she has guests over.
And if visitors want to step inside the 23-year-old’s immaculate chalet home, there’s a long list of strict rules they must stick to.
Nobody is allowed to wash their hands in her kitchen sink, shoes inside are strictly forbidden and if anyone dares to touch her ornaments they’re in bother.
Not only does she spend two hours cleaning before anyone comes over, but she also makes sure her cupboards are stashed full of crisps in every flavour.
And she says cleanliness is woman’s work.
Chantelle, who is from the traveller community, explains: “Before people come over, I’ll give everything a deep clean and make sure everything looks tidy,” she says.
“I’ll bleach down my front steps and clean my outside shed too. I’ll make sure everything looks clean, even if they aren’t going to go in there, it’s just in case.
“I take pride in my home being clean. When you’re married to a gypsy man, they don’t know how to clean, the men don’t have a clue.
Chantelle
“I’ll hoover, use bleach on my floors and on my kitchen counters. I use a lot of bleach in the bathroom too.
“My granny always told me to start with the kitchen – then I do the front room, the bedroom, and the toilet. I’d clean every single room.
“I’ll spend an hour or two getting the house ready.
“When I know someone is coming over, I stock up on candles, air fresheners and air freshener sprays, to make my home smell nice and look homely and cosy.
“If I’ve got someone coming over in the evening I’ll leave a candle on all day so the room smells nice.
“It’s important my home smells nice, I think it makes a big difference when people come in.”
Chantelle also says when it comes to keeping a clean and tidy home, men ‘don’t have a clue’ in her community and women judge each other on cleanliness.
“The first thing women will do when they walk into someone’s home is look around to see how clean it is. I know so many women that do that,” she adds.
“I take pride in my home being clean. When you’re married to a gypsy man, they don’t know how to clean, the men don’t have a clue.
“If I told my husband Swaley to go and wash the bathroom, he wouldn’t know where to start.
“It’s a woman’s duty, it’s her job, to keep the home clean. It makes you look bad if it’s dirty.”
Chantelle wouldn’t think about having visitors until her fridge and cupboards are fully stocked.
She says it’s how she makes guests always feel welcome: “I’ll always make sure I’ve got food and drink in the fridge,” she explains.
“I’ll stock up on bottles of water, fizzy drinks, crisps and if I was having people over on a Sunday, I’d always make a Sunday dinner.
“If they were coming over for a chat or whatever, I’d make sure I’ve got bread, stuff for sandwiches, and things like that.
Typically, gypsies is a term used to describe Romani people who migrated to Europe from India while traveller refers to a person with either Irish, Scottish or English heritage.
Around 300,000 Gypsy, Roma and Irish travellers are thought to live in the UK.
All three groups come from nomadic ways of life, however, as it is increasingly difficult to find land to live on, many are moving into permanent housing.
They place high value on family life and often live close together even after reaching adult years and getting married.
Often the men are the breadwinners of the family while the women stay home.
While many English gypsy girls are allowed to drink alcohol and go on holiday with their friends before they get married, their Irish counterparts are not.
“I’ll make sure I’ve got Red Bull and plenty of water and Fanta.
“I want people to feel welcomed, I make sure I’ve got plenty of stuff.”
Chantelle, who normally shops in Tesco or Lidl, and whose crisp drawer looks like something you’d expect to see in Stacey Solomon’s kitchen, even lets guests help themselves.
She reveals: “I get a selection of stuff. I spend a lot of money when I know people are coming.
“Gypsy people like to have plenty of food at home. I like people to help themselves – I want people to feel at home, so we do spend a lot.
“If I was making a roast dinner, and getting desserts and starters, I’d probably spend about £50.
“If I’m just getting snacks and drinks, I’ll spend about £30 – it depends on what I’m making.”
But when it comes to the guests actually entering Chantelle’s home, she has a strict list of rules that they must adhere to.
Chantelle’s list stipulates that shoes must be taken off straight away.
“This is a huge thing. I’ve got all my nice mats on the floor. If people come in with dirt on their shoes, they’ll tread it through the front room and they’ll be walking around the germs.”
And if visitors are eating in her home, they must wash their hands first – but the kitchen sink is off limits.
I wouldn’t let anyone wash their hands in my kitchen sink.
Chantelle Devonshire
Chantelle explains: “Wash your hands before dinner. I don’t want people touching everything with germs on their hands.
“But I wouldn’t let anyone wash their hands in my kitchen sink. They need to wash their hands in the bathroom.
“In my sink there’s only cups and my kitchen cloth. Imagine the germs if someone washed their hands – you’re putting them on your cups.”
Chantelle keeps a close eye on her ornaments too.
“My granny would always tell me not to touch ornaments,” she recalls.
A lot of gypsy people don’t agree with having dogs in the home, a lot of them don’t like it. I was brought up different, my dog is my dog, he’s my baby.
Chantelle Devonshire
“They’re sentimental. Some of them were passed down from my granny and her mum.
“Some stuff I like to keep on show, but it’s not to be touched.”
As for smoking, anyone who tried to light up in Chantelle’s home would be immediately asked to leave.
“Vaping I wouldn’t be too fussed on, but not smoking. The roof is plastic and it will go yellow. The smell will sit on the curtains,” she adds.”
But she relaxes the rules where animals are concerned.
Chantelle says: “A lot of gypsy people don’t agree with having dogs in the home, a lot of them don’t like it. I was brought up different, my dog is my dog, he’s my baby.
“A lot of travellers might come in here and try to put my little dog outside, but if people come into my home and try to do that, I would tell them to leave there and then.“
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