Lots of husbands and wives have their own special song that reminds them of each other. But one married couple from Bingley have a whole brass band repertoire.

In a scene reminiscent of the hit film Brassed Off, Colette and John Mallinson, pictured, got together on a Yorkshire Building Society Concert Brass Band tour to Belgium in 1996.

Colette, who had recently joined the band, caught the attention of percussion player John in the same year that the blockbuster movie hit the screens.

And not surprisingly their first date was a trip to the pictures to see the gritty northern film in which Ewan McGregor and Tara Fitzgerald fall in love to the sound of a brass band.

When John, 30, and Colette, 22, tied the knot in July 2001 at King Cross Methodist Church, Halifax, the whole band was there to play them down the aisle.

Now the brass band-mad couple have a baby girl, Freya, who, at the age of four months, already attends the twice-weekly band rehearsals.

Colette, who plays the cornet, said: "We'd have probably never met if it wasn't for us playing in the band because I lived in Halifax and he lived in Bingley."

She added: "The band is its own community and it's probably difficult for partners to understand the commitment to it if they don't play as well."

John said: "I don't think we would still be together if we weren't both in the band because it takes a lot of commitment. I also used to play in show bands and Colette was very understanding because she knew how much rehearsal it involves."

John and Colette are not the only husband and wife in the band.

Valerie and Martin Simpson, from Wibsey, who both play the cornet, married last July at Farsley Parish Church.

Valerie, 26, who works for a haulage company in Leeds, Freelance Direct, met Martin, 23, who works for Box Global in Birstall, a forwarding air freight company, through work.

Martin said that when they first met he had never played a brass instrument but after watching Valerie perform in the band he decided to learn to play the cornet. Valerie added: "It helps that we both play as it means we have interests in common to share."

But the couple ditched their instruments for a night to have a Valentine's meal together.

Over the next few weeks the band will be preparing for its most important performance of the year - at the Yorkshire Regional Brass Band Competition which takes place in St George's Hall, Bradford, on March 1 and 2.