A stalwart of Suffolk bowls has been honoured for his decades of service to the game.

Jimmy Summons was presented with a plaque and a certificate in recognition of 45 years service to the county bowls scene, both as a player and as a member of the County Area A Committee, at the Suffolk County Bowls Association Federation AGM recently.

He had recently announced that he would not be standing for re-election to that committee for the forthcoming year.

Summons has served his area of the county with diligence and distinction over a long period of time.

His experience has been invaluable to everyone that he has assisted, and to all the organisations, local or county, that he has been involved in.

And, as a bowler himself, he was formidable. Between the years of 1972 and 2012 he either won individually or was part of a winning rink on 58 occasions in the Suffolk County Finals.

Just to reach a county final weekend a player has to have achieved victory in an area final which is hard enough. His victories were achieved in 11 different disciplines on a variety of bowls greens in the county.

And, between 1991 and 2012 he also achieved the remarkable total of 11 national titles in seven different disciplines.

Couple that with more than 200 appearances for the county at Adams or Newton team level, and it is little wonder that bowling colleagues and opponents affectionately refer to Summons as “Mr Suffolk”.

A spokesman for the Suffolk County Bowls Association Federation said: “Jimmy is a quiet man who was always ready to help bowlers new or more experienced, to perfect the skill required in the sport of bowls.

“We know he had another passion, albeit still within bowls, and that was tending the green at his local bowling club Kessingland.

“You would be sure of a decent surface to bowl on there, for Jimmy would had spent a great deal of time, effort and experience in preparation of the bowling green.

“We all hope that Jimmy continues to enjoy playing the sport for a long time to come, but we thank him most wholeheartedly for the time and effort given to Suffolk bowls in all the roles that he has accepted.”