I beg to differ - the very first programme dating back to 1979 (1980 BAFTA Best Documentary Programme winner) has Briccialdi's "The Carnival of Venice" performed by James Galway...!

Find it here... the theme is at the end of Part 6 (there is no opening theme).

My parents' house is two hundred yards away from the Two Cats, the local nickname for Fred's house which was built as a gatehouse to the Earl of Bradford's estate in Bolton, Lancs. The nickname came about because the Earl of Bradford's coat of arms is depicted in relief as a plaque on the lefthand gable - and it shows two lions rampant...

The plaque on the right-hand gable displays the year the gatehouse was built - 1854, if I recall correctly... I can check when I'm round there tomorrow afternoon! Sadly, there is an ugly alarm bell box marring the right hand gable!

The house is unusual in that it looks from the road to be a bungalow - but there is another floor below road level, which opens onto the garden/workshop area.

It has been opened as the 'Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre' - the link to the website above will take you to more details.