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convey and receive this particular replayed set of experiences and as figures
in that replayed reality. In this sense, whereas 'Cookie's Party'was essentially
positively skewed, with all participants having a common experiential past,
'Tommy Fields' is essentially negatively skewed.
Whereas I posited 'Cookie's Party' as an example of a reminiscence
topic type, 'Tommy Fields', in the way it is collaboratively conversationally
handled by KP&LP and RP&EP, can be classed as what I referred to earlier
as a reportable type of topic (see Chapter 5). The talk is essentially framed as
a narrative, that is, a story or report of a directly experienced event which can
be relayed to co-p arti ci pants. In this sense, whereas 'Cookie's Party' was an
event experienced by all but one of the participants, 'Tommy Fields' is
essentially presented and framed as an event experienced by only one set of
participants - KP&EP. Again, the manner in which this particular narrative is
handled is typical of English sociable conversation in general. Similar to
'Cookie's Party, in fact more so, it is both highly dramatised and
exaggerated, and peppered with both the expression and appreciation of
humour. Again, quite clearly, the truth value or factual accuracy of the
narrative is relegated in favour of what might be termed the entertainment
value. As with'Cookie's Party', alongside the general handling as sociable
style, of fundamental importance here is the self-work being achieved. That is,
as equally important as the relaying of unique experience is the mobilisation
of a unique set of selves, both as players and images.
As with 'Cookie's Party', we might initially employ a vernacular
category to account for the selves mobilised in 'Tommy Fields' such as
evisitors to rough pubs'. However, more generic types of sociable selves can
be identified which allow for the presentation of such vernacular selves. There
are two basic types of sociable selves mobilised here. These are, in the first
instance are narrating selves, and what was generally referred to earlier as
audiential selves (see Chapter 7). The preceding examination of 'Cookie's
Party' allowed for an illustration and brief discussion of the nature and
mobilisation of narrating selves (see LM's attempt to narrate her falling down
stairs), albeit within an episode of generally solidaric alignment. Here
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