I said I've never been to anything advertised as a ceilidh in England - but I do have some idea what goes on at a proper ceilidh, as I've heard one on Scottish BBC radio: Scots and tourists gather to hear a short story or two, the recitation of verses, Scottish tunes, Scottish dancing, a song or two, etc.
"It strikes me that WAV, by not dancing, is just as guilty of not practising an aspect of his culture as is someone who chooses to play a Swedish tune......."...if I had the time and the energy, Volgadon, to add English dances to my English folk repertoire, there would still be stick-dressing, pipe-making, watercolours, oils, sketching, cooking a roast, pigeon fancying, leek growing, twitching, treading the boards...spare my days, woman!