LONDON.- Dozens of colourful deckchairs, designed by leading names from the worlds of art and showbusiness, including Tracey Emin, Joanna Lumley, Matthew Williamson and Raymond Briggs were unveiled today in London’s Hyde Park.

The deckchairs are part of a high-profile charity initiative, Deckchair Dreams 2008, launched by the Royal Parks Foundation and sponsored by Bloomberg, which raises funds to benefit the capital’s eight Royal Parks.

In all, 23 top artists and celebrities have pledged their support for the Parks by each designing a special deckchair. Their original artwork is expected to fetch record prices when it is sold at auction in five days time.

Joining the ranks of the celebrities, six London schools and The Household Cavalry have also designed deckchairs and winners from each have had their designs produced on to the deckchairs. Among them is new cavalry recruit, Trooper Tim Pugh, who created a winning deckchair design inspired by St James’s Park.

And another deckchair designer, Raymond Briggs, author and illustrator of bestselling children’s books The Snowman and Fungus the Bogeyman, was joined by a live snowman, who braved the warm weather (and risked melting) in Hyde Park to try out his very own deckchair.

Raymond Briggs, 74, said: “It is not generally known that snowmen do enjoy the sun, provided it is on a freezing cold day. Even then, they should not stay in it too long”.

Royal Parks Foundation Chief Executive, Sara Lom, said today: "We will be rolling out 700 designer deckchairs across four central Royal Parks between June and October for everyone to sit on and enjoy. This fabulous art adventure raises vital funds to protect and enhance the 5,000 acres of London’s Royal Parks and to help conserve their precious trees, monuments and wildlife."