red rag to a bull

This beautifully lit day drew me out for a short walk on a footpath.

We have passed this sign many, many times and it still remains as curious as ever to me. The boys always speculate about it. Who put it there? Did they put it there at night when no one was looking? What will happen if you get caught touching it?

I feel that an 'is' inserted just after 'no footpath' would be of huge benefit. But then this would imply that there is, indeed, a footpath here - which presumably there isn't.

Or is it missing an 's'? It would then read 'no footpaths private'. Maybe it is meant as a statement of liberation for normally private footpaths, and this is why it is so heavily guarded?

The wording, 'treated with anti vandal paint', at first plants an image in my mind of a long sticky painted footpath through the middle of a field. This is, however, until you notice that the post is in fact covered in the paint. It has protective barbed wire all around it too. Presumably to ensure that you don't dare to try and make contact with the anti vandal paint.

The first time we ever saw it, it had only just been erected. The children were immediately drawn to it and asked lots of questions. The head rebel in our family, my mother, was so intrigued that she unashamedly risked life and limb just to gain a touch of the paint. The boys were in awe of her and her lack of concern at the severity of the notice.

Her father was a rebel, a footpath campaigner and she is a Taurus.

My grandpa would have loved this sign for all of its faults.