I’m a gypsy mum – trolls call me a ‘dirty thief’ but my council home’s pristine & I spend £20k doing it up every YEAR
A 'PROUD GYPSY' mum trolled for being 'dirty' proves she keeps their house pristine by wrapping their furniture in plastic - and has even taught her kids to clean aged THREE.
Pashy Goldsmith, 42, explained how her family are "often judged for being travellers" and says they have been called "dirty thieves" and even rejected from pubs and shops because of how they look.
However, the stay-at-home mum and content creator insists people are quick to judge but their opinions would change if they visited her home - a two-bedroom council house in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
House proud Pashy redecorates her front room every six months - costing her £10k a year - and spends 10 hours wiping, vacuuming, and mopping her yellow and grey-themed house from top to bottom every day.
On the more extreme side, the mum-of-two revealed how she saves thousands by plastic-wrapping her furniture -including her sofas, chairs, and rugs - to keep them clean, as she claims to "hate any sight of dirt".
After showcasing their home on TikTok, she and her landscaper husband, Ray, 41, have received mixed reactions for their design choices of giant faux flowers, blingy crystal ornaments, Roman style vases and designer sofas.
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But the pair have clapped back - saying they are "very house proud".
"People are shocked when they visit our home," Pashy said.
"I think they're surprised that we don't live in trailers and that we respect our home - which is a huge part of our culture.
"When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is clean.
"When I see a speck of dust, I wipe it. When I see a mark on the wall, the paint comes out.
"Our furniture isn't cheap and neither are the ornaments and rugs, so we wrap them in plastic to protect them from getting dirty.
"People may think it's strange but I'm very house proud."
Pashy described the judgment she's faced for being a traveller and claims to have been forced to wait outside a fish and chip shop in 2024 as 'only non-travellers were allowed inside'.
"I went in there and I said, 'can I have this certain fish?' and the worker said, 'no, no, stand outside'," she said.
"And we had to stand outside when it was raining.
"But non-travellers were walking in that fish and chip shop, ordering their food, and she was laughing and talking away with them.
"As soon as you walk into a pub, a restaurant, or even the fish and chip shop, they can tell what you are.
"They don't give us a chance, and people treat us like filth."
Pashy grew up in Thistlebrook, Abbey Wood - on one of London's largest travelling sites - and as part of her culture, says she's been told from a young age to look after her home.
Eventually, Pashy moved to a quaint village in Kent, outside of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in 2004, with her husband - who she first met in 2000.
The pair started dating after Ray had invited Pashy to a millennium party with his family and asked her out - they eventually tied the knot in 2018.
The couple now live in a two-bed house with their children - Patience, 13, and Tommy, three - and Pashy shares videos online debunking misconceptions about what it means to be a traveller.
She explains how "cleanliness is a top priority for gypsies" and that they "treat their home like it's a castle".
For the family of four, this means redecorating their front room every six months - spending roughly £10k a year on new furniture, paint, and tools, including £7,400 on two discounted Versace sofas for this year's look.
"People think we are dirty, but don't know how much effort we put into maintaining and cleaning our home," Pashy said.
"There's a lot of money and work that goes into it - your home should be your most valuable possession and I've been taught to respect and care for it.
"That's why a lot of our furniture is covered in plastic.
"We wanted things to last and with a three-year-old child, you fear things may get scratched, drawn on or broken."
The same goes for Pashy's yellow rugs - which aren't the first she's covered in plastic, admitting that she has spare rugs in the loft, just in case she wants to switch to another colour.
She added: "The plastic doesn't bother any of us and I may remove it when the kids get older.
"But it keeps things safe and protected - and has saved us thousands in damages, replacements and washing costs.
"I don't think we'll be in a hurry to take it off."
Pashy admits people have been left "confused" by her design and living choices - and she's clapped back to people who have said it "looks tacky" and "uncomfortable".
"People are way too quick to judge and don't understand our culture fully and how much we strive to keep things tidy," she said.
"We don't tell other people how they should decorate their homes, so no one should be telling me how to do mine."
Her children even help around the house too - by wiping the side tops and dusting frequently.
The three-year-old also helps with picking up rubbish and running the hoover around the floors.
"My daughter has been cleaning since she was six years old and my son, who is three, has started now and they love it," she added.
"It's part of gypsy culture and I want people to stop thinking we're dirty thieves who aren't good enough.
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"We all come from the same place. There's good and bad in everyone.
"Please don't judge us, before you even know us."
Facts on gypsy and traveller communities
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.