1. The Southeast of England

2. The Southeast is the most densely populated region of England.

3. It is only 11 per cent of the land area of the country, but a third of the total population lives here.

4. Because of this a large part of the region is affected by urban devel­opment: housing, factories, offices and a complex network of roads and motorways.

5. However, there is still attractive countryside to be found in all counties outside the influence of London.

6. The south cost has a mild and sunny climate which makes it popular both with holiday-makers and with the elderly, who find it a comfortable area to retire to.

7. The county of Kent is known as the Garden of England because it produces a lot of the fruit and vegetables which are eaten all over the country. The soil and climate make ideal growing conditions.

8. Brighton, on the south coast, is a famous seaside resort.

9. There are entertainments of all kinds.

10. Brighton Pier is a popular place to spend a few hours, especially if the weather is not good enough to stay on the beach.

11. Brighton is also well known as a conference centre, all the major political parties, as well as the Trade Union Congress, may hold their conferences there in autumn.

12. Canterbury is a town in Kent with a population of about 120,000.

13. It is the religious capital of England because its cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is head of the Church of England.

14. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, it was a place of pilgrimage.

15. Thousands of people came to pray at the shrine of a former Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in the Cathedral in His name was Thomas Becket.

16. The best-known Canterbury pilgrims are probably those who appear in the book by Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Canterbury Tales".

17. It was written in the 14th century, when the pilgrimage had become a rather pleasant holiday for the groups of people who travelled together for protection and companionship.

18. "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of stories told by the members of a group of pilgrims.

19. Through the stories we get a vivid picture of the religious and social life of the 14th century.

20. There are twenty-nine pilgrims altogether, including a knight, a doctor, a miller, a middle-aged widow and numerous members of religious orders of one kind or another.