The bonkers baron whose life was a pursuit of hedonism: He inspired the wildest character in the BBC's new drama, but from dyed doves and dogs in pearls to riotous parties, Lord Berners was even barmier, writes ALISON BOSHOFF
The 14th Baron of Berners was a true bon vivant of the early 20th century who entertained everyone from Salvador Dali to Evelyn Waugh
He made such an impression on Nancy Mitford that she based Lord Merlin, the outrageous aesthete in her 1945 novel The Pursuit Of Love on him
Berners adored pranks and practical jokes, and once even placed an advertisement in The Times newspaper offering two elephants for sale